Megaman X  Clouded Heart
by Megaman Trigger 2.0
Summary: Book 2 in Megaman X series. Mysterious dreams plague the mind of young Megaman X. And when these dreams begin to show events before they occur it is up to X to protect everything he cares about.
1. Another Late Night

Darkness surrounded Megaman X. Not a darkness that falls at night, nor darkness when the lights go out, but a smothering, chocking, and unnerving darkness. It closed in around X, pushing up to him and complete engulfing him. X tried to scream, but his voice was gone.

What was this darkness?

The darkness of fear.

This was a nightmare, a nightmare that had plagued X for months. Each night it was different, and worse. The night before X had been standing in the center of a large black room. A strange shadow of a man stood at one end of the room, a more familiar shadow by him. It was Axl who stood nearby, his face covered in fear.

"X! HELP ME!" he yelled, and that was when X noticed that Axl was tied to a large chair. The chair was surrounded with small buttons on the floor.

"STOP THIS!" X yelled to the man in the darkness.

The man simply smiled at X, his teeth shining in the darkness around him.

"X…this is your fault X….you put him there…" echoed the man's voice.

Suddenly Axl cried out in pain and fear. X turned to him and saw that the small buttons where spouting large arcs of flame. The heat of the flames where overpowering and Axl had already started to sweat.

"X! PLEASE HELP ME!" Axl yelled again, the flames growing larger and larger.

"STOP THIS! PLEASE! STOP!" X yelled, falling to his knees before the dark man.

The man merely chuckled. "You put him there…you did this to him…this is your fault…."

X watched in pain as the flames caught the chair Axl sat in on fire. The fire spread, engulfing Axl. All that remained of the hunter was a large spire of flame. Axl screamed in pain, again and again. X merely lay on the ground, tears falling down his face, screaming and begging the man to stop.

Then the darkness surged as X was released from his dark nightmare. Shooting up in bed X cried out in fear. The nightmare was over, and X had returned to the real world. He lay in his bed, the sheets tangled and clinging to his body, which was drenched in sweat.

Outside the rain fell gently, trickling along his bedroom window without a sound. In the distance a bolt of lightning arched, soon followed by a burst of thunder. The rain had arrived by everyone's surprise, and many had gotten drenched before reaching indoors and extending their umbrellas.

X sighed, catching his breath, and ran a hand through his wet hair. This was the fourth time he had that nightmare, but the first time that anyone he knew was in it. Each time X was in the same dark room, the same man sitting at the other end, however the person being killed, and the circumstances under such, where always different.

The first time a little girl had been attacked by a large dog, the second a woman in her car was killed in a crash, and the third a man was electrocuted to death. Now the dream was about Axl, being burned to death.

Each time X pleaded the man to stop his killing, and each time the man said it was X's fault that their deaths where to be so painful.

…_It's your fault X…_

X glanced at the clock by his bed and cursed, it was 3 A.M.

"Another sleepless night, how wonderful." X said to himself as he slid out of bed. Walking toward his bathroom door another flash of lightning lit up the sky. The storm was getting worse, and moving closer. Soon it would be right over the Maverick Hunter HQ.

Winter had come and gone, and with its passing took much of the pain X had felt with it. This Christmas a man named Nocturne had attacked the base, Alia his target. The reason? To draw X out of the base, to destroy him.

X and Alia had always been friends, since they first met, but through the hardships and near death experiences of the battles at Christmas, they learned that they felt something more. They were in love, and upon Alia's death they revealed it to the world.

Alia was killed by Nocturne, who had been infected with the Sigma Virus. After being infected it drove the young ex-maverick hunter, mad. He took old destroyed mavericks and repaired them, fusing them together into larger mavericks. With this fighting force he set his base in Castle Wily, and set out to destroy Megaman X.

Why destroy X?

Because, Nocturne was created by a very mad man, Dr. Albert Wily. Dr. Wily created Nocturne to lead a force of mavericks that would, the doctor hopped, destroy the world and bring it under his reign. However Nocturne was sealed away after the doctor's death, and in this sleep state, lost his memory. After being awoken he joined the Maverick Hunters, unaware of his true goal.

After the Sigma Virus was released it infected Nocturne, awakening his programming by Wily. Once he regained his memory, Nocturne destroyed the Maverick Hunter Base Oceana, and vowed to carry out his true goal.

Nocturne, to help complete his goal, activated the Midnight Breaker. This machine, everyone thought, was a large cannon. However it was not, it was a large machine that fed off of others energy and fed it into its master. It had been created to keep Nocturne alive forever, but it was in need of a activation key, the Sol Card.

This powerful card was hidden inside Castle Wily, unknown to Nocturne. When the attack on the castle began, Alia and Axl found the card, but where attacked and it was taken away by one of the mavericks. The maverick activated the Midnight Breakers true power, and started to feed energy to Nocturne. That was when Sigma revealed himself.

He had finally, after infecting Nocturne for so long with the virus, taken control of all of Nocturnes systems. He fed off the Midnight Breaker, and attacked X, Zero, Axl, Dr. Cain, Signas, and Alia. In the battle Alia destroyed the Midnight Breaker, and Sigma ran at her with sword drawn.

Just as his blade entered Alia's body, piercing it with ease, Dr. Cain drew his blade and destroyed Sigma. As Sigma fell from the castle he released his hold over Nocturne, and fled.

Alia was dead, and upon her death told X how she felt. X wept for his fallen friend, who he too had found to love. But everyone was surprised, X included, when Alia was brought back to life.

_Suddenly the doors opened and Dr. Cain walked out with a figure next to him. Everyone stopped talking and starred at Dr. Cain and the figure next to him in shock._

_The reploid next to Dr. Cain slowly walked toward X's table. X stood and starred in shock and met the figure in the middle of the room._

_Everyone slowly turned away and left the cafeteria._

_Dr. Cain smiled and turned and left the room, as he did he looked back at X._

_X gave him a look, as if to say "Thank you, Happy Christmas."_

_Dr. Cain laughed and as he walked through the door yelled out._

"_HAPPY CHRISTMAS MEGAMAN!"_

_Megaman starred in shock at the reploid in front of him, it was Alia._

"_A-Alia….y-your…I'm not dreaming am I?"_

"_X…I'm really alive."_

_X hugged Alia, which was shocking to Alia and she slowly hugged him back._

_Alia was herself, just like before she was killed. But she was wearing her hair all the way down, and it was quite longer than before, and she wore a light pink and off white dress._

"_Alia…how?"_

"_Dr. Cain's spent since I died working alone day and night to fix me." Alia said happily._

_I'm going to have to buy Dr. Cain a great big Christmas Gift…_

"_Alia…" X said still stunned._

"_I was afraid I wouldn't be able to talk when I got here, but looks like it's the other way around." Alia said giggling to herself._

"…_.I'm sorry Alia….it's just…I don't really know what to say…"_

_Alia giggled again. "Well than, don't __**say**__ anything."_

_X chuckled and pulled Alia closer and kissed her._

_Zero and Axl stood at the door and watched from the window, when X started kissing Alia they turned around, slightly embarrassed._

"_I think we should leave them be, how about you?" Zero said._

"_Yeah…let's go…" Axl said._

_The snow fell gently, unlike the storm that had fell before the battle, and an aura of peace filled everyone and everything. The world seemed to be in a sleeping state, all the world besides Alia and X._

_The two reploids kissed until they could no longer breathe. When they pulled away both of them were blushing._

"_Alia…I love you too." X said as he kissed her again._

That was the happiest moment of X's life. He loved her, and since that day they had been together always. There had been a bit of teasing from a few hunters that said that in a few years there would be "Little X and Alia's" running around the base. These comments where quickly silenced, as X would have a quite forceful "talk" with the creator of the teasing.

X exited his bathroom and returned to bed, his eyes filled with fear.

_Please…please…just let me sleep…please…._

And X's prayers were answered, for he slept the rest of the night in peace.


	2. Enter Ferina

All was quiet at the Maverick Hunter HQ Hall of Records. It was late, 3 A.M to be exact. All of the scientists had long gone to bed, along with the head librarian. The Hall of Records was a large building that was about six miles from the Maverick Hunter HQ. It was a large white building, two large ornate pillars guarding the entrance. It was designed to resemble the Great Library, a beautiful building created far in the past in the land known as Egypt.

The Great Library was an ancient building that held a copy of every single book and document ever created. The Maverick Hunters version kept to that script, only adding in every transmission ever created as well.

The Maverick Hunters had to keep close tabs on everyone and everything, all in the effort of finding mavericks and stopping them before the attack. The Hall of Records was split into different sections. Section 1: Books and Tales

Section 2: Papers and Reports

Section 3: Electronic Transmissions

Section 4: Data Disks

Section 5: Letters and Notes

When I tell you that all was quiet at the Hall of Records, I mean that all was quiet everywhere BESIDES Section 4. Unfortunately, Section 4 had a very unwelcome guest.

A female reploid, clad in dark purple armor, was standing inside Section 4. All around her where large shelves, and upon these shelves where countless cases, filled with disks, the disks where strange, they glowed a dim blue in the darkness of the hall.

"…Now….Data Disk 650….let's see…." Said the reploid to herself.

Walking up the aisle the reploid counted the disks she passed, marked with a small set of numbers.

"645..646…647….648…649….650!" she said, reached her destination. Carefully the reploid reached out and gripped the disk, ever so gently pulling the disk, case and all, out of its section and placing it into a bag at her side.

"Alright. Mission accomplished. I really am getting paid too much for this."

She could remember the money her employer had promised, and it was shocking.

-FLASHBACK-

"These instructions are quite vital for you Miss Ferina, and I would like it if you would PAY ATTENTION!" yelled a man hidden in the darkness.

The female reploid clad in purple, known as Ferina jumped to attention. The reploid had long black hair that fell below her shoulders; light green eyes, and wore black lipstick, her armor and helmet where a deep purple color, her suit underneath a charcoal black. "I understand, you want me to steal a data disk from the Maverick Hunters. If I may ask, why do you need the disk?"

"The disk contains the blueprints to the Maverick Hunter HQ. With them I will know every inch of the base, and tracking down its members will be much easier. I trust you know that until the disk is in my hands you will receive no part of our agreed payment."

Ferina smiled. "I understand sir. I assure you, I will have the disk in my possession before the sun rises."

"Good, I'll hold you to that Ferina. I expect great things from you my dear. Do not fail me, for you know the consequences."

-END FLASHBACK-

Ferina swallowed hard at that. The consequences where quite clear, only one thing awaited those who failed to complete a mission assigned to them by the man, death, a long and painful death.

Smiling with pride, Ferina took the disk and began to make her way out of the building. But as she had taken the disk from its holder, she hadn't noticed the small trigger that had been released. Just seconds after Ferina left the aisle the room was lit in an ominous red glow.

Large emergency lights began to blink. A voice, the security system, came over the intercom.

"INTRUDER ALERT! INTRUDER ALERT! ALL MAVERICK HUNTERS REQUIRED AT SECTION 4!"

"Dammit!" Ferina cursed as she dashed through the large double doors, and out into the dark night.

Maverick Hunter HQ suddenly burst into a volley of activity, they had received the emergency alert, and where on their way. If the hunters caught up to Ferina, it would be worse than death.

Cursing once again, Ferina jumped onto her FLYTE-520 and turned the ignition. As she gained speed, trying to make a fast getaway, she moved into the nighttime traffic, en route to Highway 66, her only escape.

Ferina grabbed a small communicator from her waist. "Admiral, this is Ferina. I've got the disk, but I tripped an alarm in my escape. The hunters are after me, I need you to come and pick me up."

There was a short silence before a man took hold of the network. "Roger that miss, just come to Highway 66, we'll pick you up there."

"Thanks, and be ready to fight, I can already here the HUVER copters revving up."

And so began the late night chase.


	3. …Axl…no…

"X…Come in X! The maverick has moved from Sector 6B to Sector 8C via Highway 66. Zero and Axl are in pursuit via HUVR-29."

"Roger Alia, I'm at the intersection of Highway66 and Highway48, in pursuit of target."

"Good, you're approximately 3 miles from the mavericks location, be careful X. We don't know what that maverick has up her sleeve."

"Understood. X out."

Megaman X rode his brand new FLYTE-650 down the always busy streets of Able City. All around him large cars and trucks sped by going south on the street, as X pushed his way north. Weaving in and out of the cars X pressed a button on the top on his bike, lighting up the bike with red lights and a siren. Cars slowly moved out of his way as he moved forward. X had to hurry, not only was he trying to help stop the maverick, but he was leading the entire operation.

X, Zero, and Axl had been awoken late at night by a sudden red alert. The Maverick Hunter HQ Records Hall had been broken into, and a disk stolen by a reploid clad in purple armor. Signas and Dr. Cain had immediately sent out the three hunters, Alia operating for them all.

It seemed that the hunters where always fighting and chasing mavericks. Like Zero had once told X, "For every kind and sensitive hunter out there, there always seems to be a border lined maverick just waiting to cause trouble." That was no more true now than it was when Zero had first spoke those words.

X looked to the night sky as he sped forward in a gap in traffic. Not too far away, about a mile away, X could see three HUVR-29's flying high above him, both with their searchlights trained on a figure on the highway. The highway in front of X had been shut down, as well as another section on the opposite side of the circuit.

"X! Zero and Axl have finished the roadblocks, the maverick is trapped inside th-." Started Alia when suddenly Signas cut her off.

"X, Zero, Axl, I want that maverick stopped! I do NOT want her harmed, arrest her, and bring her and the data disk back to the base."

"Understood sir!" said X as he slowed to a stop at the roadblock ahead of him.

Hunters stood all around him, busters armed. On the top of each buster was a small flashlight that helped to illuminate the dark night. Flashlights, streetlamps, buildings, and headlights from cars where all that lit up the deep darkness that had taken hold, it was only a sign of what was to come, this darkness.

X moved into the roadblock and stepped toward its front lines. The two HUVR helicopters flew just above him, Axl standing at the opened hatch on the right and Zero at the left. Both had their busters trained on the maverick in the center of the street.

The maverick had dismounted her own FLYTE bike, and stood with a large disk in her hand. She wore purple armor with a black suit underneath. She had long black hair that fell to just below her shoulders. Her helmet was the same purple as her armor, lined in black with a large red crystal in the center. Her helmet had a green visor attached that fell over her right eye; from here she could scan and read the internal data on all of her victims.

X glanced upward, toward Zero, who nodded that he was ready. Axl too nodded, and X moved forward slowly.

"This is it maverick! Hand over the data disk and we will let you go alive! Resist and we will fire!" X yelled to the maverick, causing Signas to curse and immediately respond to the comment.

"X! We will NOT harm the maverick!"

"I know sir; I would not go back on an order."

Zero snickered at this. _Yeah, just keep telling yourself that X, haha._

The maverick turned toward X, a dark smile on her face. On her visor lines of data began to appear as she scanned her enemy for information.

Name: Megaman X

Affiliation: Maverick Hunters

Aprox. Height: 165 cm

Aprox Weight: 57 kg

Information: Powerful reploid created by Thomas Light, joined Maverick Hunters to try and find a stop to the Maverick Wars. Was one of the first to fight against Sigma at the start of the war, along with Zero.

Weakness: Unknown, but is known to be quite loving and attached to all humans and reploids, his friends even more so.

The maverick smiled and spoke in a whisper. "Research Zero…"

The computer immediately began throwing up information about Zero.

Name: Zero

Affiliation: Maverick Hunters

Aprox Height: 168 cm

Aprox Weight: 57 kg

Information: Created by Albert Wily, joined Maverick Hunters after being broken from his Maverick status. As a maverick he was stronger and faster than Sigma, and was created for the purpose of allowing Dr. Wily to rule the world long after his death. Is now the best friend to Megaman X.

Weakness: Unknown

The maverick smiled, raising her hand to her helmet's communicator.

"…Are you there Captain?"

"Roger, we're in position." Said a dark voice over the maverick's headset.

"Alright, then let's begin!" said the maverick as she moved closer to X, raising her hands into the air.

"I SURRENDER!" she yelled.

X smiled and raised his hand into the air. "Alpha team, move out!" A group of hunters around X all rushed forward, none knowing the trap about to be sprung.

Just as the hunters surrounded the maverick a large force field shot up around the maverick, knocking all the hunters back onto the ground.

"What the- Zero, Axl!" X suddenly realized what was going on. Two large airship cruisers suddenly appeared above the two large HUVER copters, the cruisers where quite large airships. Hatches built into them allowed for vehicles to be loaded and unloaded. Large turrets where placed all around the airship cruisers, and each one was ready to fire.

Zero's glance shot upward, at the large cruiser above his copter. "Damn! EVERYONE JUMP!" he ordered, jumping from the copter as the air was filled with a blast of fire and the screaming of missiles. As Zero fell to the ground he saw that a few other hunters had escaped the copter, and that everyone was watching Axl's copter.

Axl had ordered the copter to immediately circle the highway, and open fire on the cruisers. However the cruiser had already opened fire and a hail of missiles was following Axl's copter.

Axl cursed, and pressed a button on the wall of the copter. A large red flare was sent off from the front of the ship, and exploded into a large blinding ball of light. The light illuminated the entire city, and the flight crew on board the cruiser lost sight of their target.

Meanwhile the maverick had expanded her force field, and X was now inside the field. The maverick had two large blades in her hands and was starring directly at X. X grinned and raised his buster into the air, which shimmered with light and changed in color along with all of his armor. X now wore a camouflage suit of armor, a large snipers scope on his buster.

The maverick smiled at X. "Hello X. It's very nice to meet you at last. I've heard a lot about you from my employer."

"…Yes well, It's nice to meet you too miss…."

"Ferina."

"Nice to meet you, Ferina. Now just who may I ask is your employer?"

"I'm afraid you will not live long enough for that information to matter."

X grinned, pointing his buster at the maverick. "We shall see…"

The maverick jumped at X, spinning in the air as she did. Her blades seemed to scream as they cut through the air, and X could only imagine the pain he would feel if they came into contact with his body. X quickly moved to the right of Ferina and locked his buster on to her. With a single blast X released three small missiles, each one trained on Ferina.

Ferina laughed and quickly sliced the air around her, splitting the missiles into very small pieces and destroying them completely. Running at X with startling speed, Ferina slashed her blades horizontally. X cried out in pain as the two blades cut into his armor, piercing it and creating huge gashes at his chest. Two simple hits and already X was nearly too wounded to continue the battle!

"Give up X?"

"…N-No…"

X dashed forward, knocking Ferina to the ground and causing her to drop one of her blades. Quickly X grabbed the blade and began to block a flurry of blows that Ferina had begun to send at him. The battle wouldn't last long unless X could get the upper hand…

Suddenly a large explosion filled the air. X and Ferina both turned toward the sound and saw that Axl's HUVER was on fire and crashing to the ground, however the hunter was nowhere to be seen.

Zero dashed forward, reaching the area mere feet away when the large copter plummeted to the ground and exploded into a burst of flame and heat.

X and Zero both tensed up and whispered, their voice filled with shock.

"…Axl…..no…."

Ferina smiled and quickly dashed away from the hunters and stepped into the searchlight dropped by the cruiser above her. A long ladder was thrown down and Ferina quickly climbed up it and escaped.

But as she did a small data disk was knocked from her pocket, and fell to the ground without a sound.

As the two large cruisers flew away a volley of sirens blared all around. Hunter HQ was covered in activity, trucks and more HUVER copters shot out from the base, trying to reach the battle site. There where hunters hurt and dying, an unknown number of them.

And Axl was among that group…


	4. Three Minutes to Midnight

The wreckage was devastating. When the HUVER had crashed it had taken a large chunk of the highway out. After breaking through the road, it fell further and landed in the center of Central Highway, the highway directly underneath. As it hit Central it took out a large section of the traffic, and unfortunately killed many humans and reploids that where in the traffic.

X and Zero stood on the edge of Highway 66, overlooking the wreck below them.

"…Axl…He didn't…" X whispered.

"I didn't see him…" Zero responded, before exchanging a worried glance with his blue partner.

In unison X and Zero jumped from one highway to the other, landing just next to the ruined copter. X glanced around the ruins and saw a few mangled bodies laying close by. There was no way that those hunters would ever be repaired.

"AXL! AXL! CAN YOU HEAR ME!" X yelled, moving closer to the wreck.

Zero drew his Saber and moved toward a section of the wreck. After waiting for a response, which he never got, he took his Saber and cut into the metal of the HUVER copter, and created a doorway. After cutting the door Zero stepped inside.

The inside of the HUVER had warped in the explosion and the crash. Large computer screens had burst, and electrical wires hung down from the ceiling, sparks flying. As Zero moved forward he could see the wreck for what it really was. On the eastern wall two hunters had been blown apart by the explosion, their heads and other appendages where severed from their bodies.

As Zero turned he saw a small light shining in the darkness. Moving toward it Zero could see a slight bit of movement.

"X! WE'VE GOT A BODY! IT'S MOVING!" Zero yelled over his shoulder.

X ran into the room and raised his buster toward the light, letting his own flashlight help to shine on the moving figure.

"Axl! Is that you!" X asked, moving forward slowly.

A low moan came from the wreck. Zero moved forward and saw that a large chunk of metal had trapped the figure, and pushing with all his strength, moved the metal aside. As soon as the metal was moved X and Zero both gasped.

Axl lay before them, only he was not in one piece. His right arm was severed at the elbow, and lay off to the right. Axl's lower body was nowhere to be seen, all that lay before X and Zero was Axl's upper torso, which had a large gash across it diagonally.

"AXL! Oh my god…"

Axl slowly opened his eyes, pain filling them. "…X…Z-Zero…H-help m-me….."His voice was weak, barely a whisper.

Zero cursed, raising his hand to his communicator.

"Alia! This is Zero, we need a medical team down here NOW! Axl was blown apart in the crash of his copter, he's dying Alia! We need help NOW!"

X knelt to the ground and smiled at his young friend. "Don't worry Axl…we'll take care of you. We'll get you out of here…"

Axl smiled slightly. "X…I-I'm not gonna make it a-am I?"

X sighed. His friend was dying…and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Suddenly the words from his nightmare slammed into him.

"…_this is your fault X….you put him there"_

X felt like he was going to be sick. _It is my fault…I was leading the operation…it's all my fault…_

"You'll be fine Axl." Zero said, kneeling next to X and his friend.

Axl chuckled. "Y-You are a h-horrible l-liar…" Axl was stammering much more now than when they had found him. The crystal on his helmet was dimming. His time was almost up.

"X, Zero! We've got an emergency team on the way; they should arrive in about three minutes." Alia said over the communicator.

"Damn, Alia! WE DON'T HAVE THREE MINUTES! Tell them to put there foot on the gas, and get there asses over here NOW!" Zero yelled. He wasn't mad at Alia, but scared and worried for his friend.

_Axl…please…you have to hold on…_

Meanwhile on board the maverick cruiser, the maverick Ferina stood in the center of a large mobile command center. All around her against the walls of the room where large computer consoles; and reploids sat at them typing commands and analyzing data as it was streamed into the large cruiser.

On the north wall, directly in front of Ferina and all the consoles, was a large screen. Usually the screen just doubled as the large command bridge window, but on certain occasions it was used to show video transmissions sent to the cruiser.

It was one of those occasions.

Ferina was standing in the center of the room, her head hung in defeat. A large dark shadow covered the screen; all that was visible were two blazing yellow eyes that starred at Ferina with a disappointed gaze.

"…Not only have you failed to bring me the data disk, you also failed to destroy the hunters!" said the dark figure, his voice staying the same tone all the way through his deep anger.

"Please, sir, I assure you I will not fail you again…"

The man on the screen laughed darkly. "I want that disk Ferina. And I will not pay you any of our agreed payment until that disk is in my hands. I am sending you back to retrieve the disk, but you will not go alone. I am sending one of my best agents, Midnight Mare, along with you. And I do hope that you will be more successful this time, because there will not be a next time…"

With that the screen went black, and a reploid entered the room.

He was a tall black reploid resembling a horse. Aside from his normal horse features, he had bright red eyes, black armor lined in gold, and a large symbol, made in white paint, upon his chest. The symbol was a large letter B, the top loop painted red, so the symbol had a large D on top and a B on the bottom.

The symbol stood for the organization that Midnight Mare worked for.

The Dark Brotherhood…


	5. Blame

Alia rushed down the halls of the Maverick Hunter HQ. She had to find X, and fast. As she hurried down the halls she pushed her way by group of hunters, excusing herself all the way. After crossing two large rotunda areas, and traversing four hallways, Alia had reached the Infirmary.

A large door bearing a red cross signaled the entrance to the area, a large lobby, much like most hospitals. The walls and floors where a simple white, and the furniture matching as such. From the lobby where three hallways, the entrance and two large wings, on the right the rooms for the hurt and sick, on the left the rooms for the healthy.

Alia quickly ran down the hall on the right, looking carefully at the numbers beside the doors. Suddenly she stopped, standing before room 104. Knocking quietly Alia opened the door and stepped inside.

The room was a typical recovery room. The bed in the center, against the north wall, a sink and bathroom on the south wall, window on the west wall, and potted plants in the four corners, a carbon copy of every single room in the entire Infirmary, as well as the many hospitals in the city.

Lying on the bed in the center of the room was Axl, Zero sat in a chair on his right, X in a chair on his left. Signas stood over the base of the bed, smiling weakly at Axl, who smiled back gently. The group turned to Alia as she walked into the room, and X stood from his chair.

Alia smiled, and seemed to brighten up when she saw X was alright. Dashing over to him she hugged him forcibly; X chuckled and hugged her back, smiling as he did so.

"Worried about me, eh?" X asked with a smile.

"…Yeah…" Alia said with a slight blush and a giggle.

Zero rolled his eyes and looked over at his hurt friend. "So, how ya feeling?"

Axl smiled, lifting his hand and giving Zero a thumbs up. "I feel great, don't feel like fighting anyone though, haha. It's a good thing that Dr. Cain knows how to repair reploids so well."

Signas chuckled. "We were all quite worried about you Axl. What were you thinking, not abandoning the copter?"

X let go of Alia, giving a stony glare at Signas. "Don't lecture Axl. It was my fault sir."

Signas turned toward X with an inquisitive glance. "And how do you figure that, X?"

"I was leading the operation…I should have done more to protect him…"

Zero sighed, standing from his chair calmly. "Look, we can go and play the blame game later. I'm just glad that no one got their head taken off, and besides mission accomplished. We got the disk back when the maverick fled, no harm no foul."

Alia grabbed X's arm and pushed herself against it lightly. "There was nothing you could have done X, you know that."

X sighed and placed a hand on Axl's shoulder. "Try and get some rest Axl. You're gonna need it."

Axl grinned and winked at his blue armored friend. "Don't worry X. Give me a couple days and I'll be good as new."

X laughed. "I'll hold you to that."

With that X, Zero, Alia, and Signas all turned and left the room. Zero and Signas walked down the hall back to the lobby, discussing a better defense system for the Hall of Records. Alia and X still stood outside of Axl's room, the two of them smiling at each other.

"You did very good X, commanding the entire mission. When the two HUVER's crashed the estimated casualties were soaring, but we finished the mission with minimal deaths, and only a few injuries, most of which were easy to repair."

X chuckled. "Yeah, if it wasn't for Dr. Cain most of the hunters, Axl included, would probably still be awaiting repair."

Alia smiled at X, but she could tell that something was troubling him, something that he hadn't said, something that had nothing to do with the crash of the HUVER…or did it? X started to take a step down the hall, but Alia grabbed his arm and pulled him back to her.

"A-Alia! What are you doing!"

Alia pulled X close to her and gave him a quick kiss before giggling and looking at him with a serious glare. "You're hiding something from me X…I can see something's wrong, please…tell me."

X sighed, turning away from Alia.

"I want to, I really do, but I don't want to worry you."

Alia placed her hand on X's shoulder. "You don't worry me when you tell me, you worry me when you stay silent. Now please, tell me what's wrong."

X turned back to Alia, his eyes filled with a strange cold stare.

"Lately I've been having these strange dreams. They just bother me, that's all."

Alia smiled. "Well, go and talk to Dr. Cain about them. He helped me when I was having a lot of sleeping problems."

X leaned forward and kissed Alia gently. "Talking with the doctor can wait. You and I haven't had some time alone in quite a while, how about you say that we enjoy a little peace for a while."

Alia smiled, putting her hand into X's. "Lead the way…"


	6. A Late Day

Once again the darkness surrounded X. The nightmare had returned, and X stood in the center of the same strange dark room as before. The very same man stood at the head of the room, the only change in the dream was off to his right.

As the girl, man, woman, and Axl had been to his right, now they were replaced by another figure. X nearly died seeing who was standing before him.

_Please…stop this….Please, don't do this…_ X screamed, but his voice never making a sound.

Dr. Cain stood in the shadows to the right, standing unmoving, his eyes trained on X. He spoke slowly, his voice calm but weak.

"X…please, STOP THIS!"

X turned his gaze to the dark man once again. The man was smiling at him, his eyes glowing a brilliant yellow, all that was visible of him where his eyes and his dark smile. X ran at him, ready to attack. He ran up the small gap between himself and the dark man, stepping up a small set of stairs, and standing right at the man's chair.

The man chuckled, turning his gaze to Dr. Cain.

X cringed, turning as well.

Dr. Cain was lying on the floor, screaming at an unknown attacker; large gashes had been cut into him. The doctor was bleeding badly, and wouldn't last much longer if the attack continued. Slowly he turned to X and, his voice filled with fear, begged X to help him.

X looked away, staring at the dark man sitting in front of him. The man merely chuckled.

"…This is your fault X…you made this happen!"

X screamed, punching the man in the face. As his hand came into contact with the man's silhouette, the shadow burst into nothingness and was gone, but the voice continued.

"This is your fault…it is ALL your fault!"

That was the end of it, X shot up in bed once again awoken from his nightmare. It was raining again, harder than the night before. The weather changed, but X's sleeping problems had not.

Glancing over at the clock X saw that it was around 1 A.M, yet ANOTHER night of bad dreams. Slowly X rose from bed, moving toward the window and, upon reaching it, threw it open. A cold rain fell, landing mostly on X's face.

X stared straight into the sky, looking to a small star to the right of the storm.

_Please…if you can grant a wish, make these dreams end…_

_Thud_

Outside the sun had risen, and had ascended the sky bringing day to the world. The sun had rose quite high too, signifying that it must be close to noon. Everyone was busily working inside the Maverick Hunter HQ, everyone except one particular blue hunter.

Megaman X lay in his bed, the covers pulled over his head. After his nightmare he had been unable to sleep, and had found the night to be quite a painful one. As X laid in his bed he could see the streaks of light through his covers, and groaning pulled the pillow over his head.

_Thud….Thud…_

_What is that noise!_ X thought, trying to figure what was trying to disturb his, already ruined, sleeping pattern.

_Thud…Thud….Thud…_

And suddenly, X's question was answered.

"X, open the damn door! It's almost noon! ARE YOU IN THERE!" called a voice, it was Zero.

The red hunter stood outside of X's bedroom, bearing a very irritate look about him. Alia stood close behind, more worried than mad. After her and X had spent the afternoon together X had went to his room to sleep, but he hadn't woke yet, and Alia had began to worry.

_He said his dreams where bothering him…I hope he's alright…_

Zero sighed, banging his fist against the door again. "X! OPEN THE DOOR, NOW!"

Alia felt awkward, standing in the center of one of the busiest hallways next to Zero, who was yelling at X to open the door. Hunters passed them in the halls, given the two strange glances as they hurried on their way.

X straightened up in bed, allowing the light to flood his vision. Slowly he climbed out of bed and moved to the door, still wearing his pajamas, which consisted of a pair of blue pants and a blue shirt. Grumpily X threw the door open, and upon seeing Zero and Alia smirked.

"Happy now!" X yelled, turning away from the door and moving back into his room.

Zero smiled and turned to Alia. "See, I told you he was fine. He's just grumpy."

Alia smiled faintly, but moved past Zero and entered the room still concerned.

"Is everything ok X?" she asked in a whisper.

"No everything is not ok! I can't sleep, and when I am HOPING to get some extra sleep I have a WAKE UP CALL!" X yelled, spinning around toward Alia and Zero.

Zero shrugged. "Hey, she told me to wake you up."

X sighed, looking toward Alia. "I'm fine Alia…I'm just tired…." _And scared…_

Alia smiled and X and turned to leave the room. "Dr. Cain wants to see you, though I suggest you get dressed first." She said, winking at X before closing the door.

X blushed; he had completely forgotten that he was still wearing his pajamas. X quickly moved to his bathroom, changed into his regular clothes, and applied his armor before leaving his room to see the doctor.

Dr. Cain stood in front of the large window in his office. The window stretched from floor to ceiling, and sat in the northwest corner of the room on the west wall, just beside his computer. The long oak table still sat in the center of the room, chairs all around. This one touch made the room look more like a conference room that a lab. A few other scientists sat at small stations at the south side of the room, most in their own labs, but other than that the doctor was alone.

Gazing out of the window the doctor could see most of the city around him. The sun had rose to its highest point, and soared over the center of the city like a star on a Christmas Tree. A few puffy clouds floated along the blue sky, but other than that it was a mostly clear day.

The doctor sighed as he watched a pair of birds fly by his window. They seemed so innocent, so careless. Just like a child. But the doctor's thoughts where interrupted when there came a high pitched ping from his computer.

Dr. Cain moved to his computer and smiled at the message on the screen, reading "DOWNLOAD COMPLETE." The doctor then pressed the eject button and removed a disk from his computer, placed it in a case, and left it on the table as another noise caught his attention.

A slight noise at the large double doors startled the doctor, and he quickly turned to see who was entering his room. X had pushed the two large oak doors open, the only wooden doors in the entire base, and had stepped inside the doctor's room.

Dr. Cain smiled and moved to his chair at the head of the table, and motioned for X to walk toward him. X moved to the doctor's side and smiled.

"Hello doctor, good morning." X said, in a mildly chipper tone.

"Actually X, it is good afternoon. You have slept quite late today, any reason why?" the doctor asked, taking a drink from a mug that sat on the table by him.

"…It's nothing doctor." X said with a sigh.

"Having bad dreams?"

X jumped, "H-How did you know?" he asked with a smirk.

"…Alia told me this morning, she said that you haven't been acting yourself lately. She said that when she asked you about it you said you where having bad dreams."

X smiled, slightly embarrassed. "Haha, leave it to Alia to ask you to help me with MY problem."

The doctor chuckled, taking a drink from his mug and placing it back on the table. "So, would you like to talk about it?"

X sighed. "It's a long story."

Dr. Cain motioned to the chair near him, smiling calmly at X. "I'm not going anywhere…"

And so X took the seat, and told Dr. Cain all about his strange nightmares. Never knowing that at this very moment, plans had been set in motion that deeply concerned his dreams, and more importantly, himself.


	7. Attack pt1

Ferina once again stood in the center of the large cruiser, but this time Midnight Mare stood at her side. Behind them stood a small force of reploids, clad in black and grey armor with black visors on their helmets. Each one of them wore a DB symbol on their armor, usually painted on the breastplate, but sat on the helmet for some.

Midnight smiled, admiring the group that stood with him.

"This is a group of our elite fighters. Only the strongest of the strong make it into my force. Stealing this disk will be easy." Midnight said, clearly quite confident with himself.

Ferina smiled. "You're sure that this will be a simple operation?"

Midnight chuckled. "Worry not, I've never lost a battle yet, and I don't plan to. The disk is guarded by the head of the maverick hunters, Dr. Cain. He is an old man, barely able to walk the floor let alone fight. This will be a piece of cake."

Ferina felt much better knowing that Midnight was going to be fighting with her. They were about to infiltrate the entire Maverick Hunter base, if Ferina was caught the entire base would no doubt be ready to kill her.

One of the pilots of the ship turned to the two commanding reploids. He wore a white captain's hat, and smiled at the two of them.

"We're all set. We'll drop you all just outside of Sector 5, from there you can move to the base and set up positions to ready your attack. Dr. Cain's office is on the west side of the base. We'll be ready for the pick up whenever you signal."

The reploids all turned and left the room; it was time to begin the attack.

The sun had long set, yet X and Dr. Cain still remained in their places. X had started to talk to the doctor about his strange dreams, and the two of them had spent the whole afternoon talking and running tests. At this very moment X was lying on an examination table, a set of small buttons attached to his head. Wires ran from the buttons, and fed into a large computer.

Dr. Cain was sitting at the computer, and turned to X with a faint smile. The screen on the computer showed Dr. Cain, just like a cameras footage, but it was actually showing what X saw.

"X, this computer will allow me to see what you see. I want you to sleep, and try and dream. When you start to have the nightmare do not wake up, just continue to sleep. I want to watch this, and I'm going to analyze it as it goes along. Maybe by doing this I can find just what is the problem."

X felt uneasy, he shifted slightly and smiled at the doctor. "Do you really think this will help?"

The doctor smiled and turned back to the computer. "Just sleep X…just sleep…"

X slowly closed his eyes, noticing that a small data disk sat on the table in the center of the room. A disk that would be highly desired…

Alia sat in the indoor garden of the HQ alone. The garden was filled with large plants and trees from all around the world, and each section of the garden was set at a specific temperature to keep each plant healthy. A large artificial river ran through the entire garden, from the northwest corner to the southwest.

The easternmost wall was a wall of pure glass, and one could see the entire city from it. All along this wall sat small tables crafted from iron, painted white. The tables where each bearing a different flower, rose, tulip, pansy, daisy, and each set of four chairs around the tables matched suit. Alia was sitting at the rose table, looking out at the city.

_X has been in Dr. Cain's office all afternoon…I hope everything is alright._

Outside of the base everything was quiet. The once busy city had become nothing but a memory. All the buildings where lit up, creating an artificial day all around the city. When the sun was blazing people ran about for work and play, and did so even more at night. The streets where still filled with cars, it seemed that the city never slept.

As Alia looked out of the window she noticed that in the distance a large ship was landing just outside of the city. It was odd, the ship looked so familiar. But, not being able to pull a conclusion, Alia pushed the thought from her mind and once again though of her love X.

_His dreams really seem to be bothering him…_

"And why is a person such as yourself sitting alone in the garden, at an hour like this." Said a voice hidden in the shadows.

Alia spun around to see Zero standing behind her, a slight smirk on his face.

"Oh, hello Zero. What are you doing here?"

Zero moved toward Alia, and sat at the chair next to her. "I could ask you the same thing. Shouldn't you and X be somewhere? It is a nice night for once, no rain and no mavericks."

Alia smiled. "I wish, but X and Dr. Cain have been talking all afternoon."

"Trying to figure out X's strange dreams?" Zero asked with a sigh.

Alia nodded, looking once more out the window.

_X…what is causing these dreams? Is it…me?_

"…He didn't have these dreams before we where together." Alia said with a sigh.

Zero placed a hand on Alia's shoulder. "Hey, you didn't cause anything to hurt him. He loves you, and you love him. These dreams are hurting him, there is no way that YOU caused them….now Nocturne is another story…"

Alia cringed. "Don't mention that name…."

Zero shrugged. "Well you have to remember, he was trapped in Nocturne's base for a long time. Who knows what the nut did to him."

Alia shivered, she didn't even want to think about the man that tried to kill her. Let alone anything the man might have done to X.

_X…Please be alright…_

Alia felt sick, she was so worried about X that she doubted she could sleep.

And the next few minutes didn't help.

Suddenly, and all at once, the sirens blared. The entire base was lit in red crisis lights once again. The security system came online and echoed its computerized vocabulary over the intercom once again.

"Security system triggered in Dr. Cain's office. All hunters on alert. Security system triggered in Dr. Cain's office. All hunters be on emergency alert."

Zero and Alia both jumped from their chairs.

"But the doctor and X are alone…" Alia said.

"…Not anymore!" Zero said, running out of them room with Alia close behind.

_X…Please be alright…_


	8. Attack pt2

Dr. Cain was pressed against the wall, X standing in front of him with his buster armed. The window in the doctor's room had been shattered, and a group of reploids had propelled into the room, Ferina among them.

Ferina and a large horse-like reploid stood at the head of a group of reploids clad in black. The reploids all had their busters pointed at X, ready for their commander's orders. Clearly this group was quite skilled at fighting.

"Nice to see you again X." Ferina said with a giggle.

X smirked. "Nice to see you too. Now, I'm not saying I'm happy to see you, but do you mind telling me what the hell you are doing here?"

The horse reploid stepped forward. "We have come here to retrieve the disk that we are after. Once we have it we shall leave in peace."

"And just who are you?" asked Dr. Cain from behind X.

The horse chuckled. "My name is Midnight, Midnight Mare. I work for the same man as Miss Ferina."

"And who is that?" X asked, still at a loss for the name of this secret employer.

"…His name is no importance to a useless reploid like you." Midnight said with a smile. He then turned to his army, who then ran about the room to search for the disk.

When the army had entered the room the disk had been on the table, but X had recognized Ferina just as she entered the room, and he had taken the disk and hidden it among himself. He chuckled slightly as he saw the mavericks running frantic around the room.

Just as X was about to speak there was a pound at the door. The entire room turned toward the door and watched as the door was suddenly blow open. A group of Maverick Hunters ran into the room, Zero at the head of the group.

"Argh! Maverick Hunters! ATTACK!" ordered Midnight, which caused the entire room to erupt into a volley of buster blasts and Saber clashes.

Dr. Cain pulled on his cane and extended his own Saber, running at Midnight. Midnight seemed surprised, but quickly countered the blow by extending his own Saber. The two swordsmen clashed blades repeatable, while the rest of the room fought around them.

X dashed at Ferina, who quickly drew her blades.

"We never finished our fight last time." Ferina said with a smile.

"Well then, en guard!" X yelled, firing three shots at Ferina.

Ferina quickly dashed to the side and evaded the shots, but as she did so was shot at by other hunters. A group of four hunters, and X, closed in a tight circle around Ferina. The purple reploid smiled.

"So X, you can't defeat me yourself, so you called on reinforcements? How pathetic."

X smiled. "I can fight you myself, but it would be much quicker if I had help."

Ferina smiled, raising her hand to a small button on her helmet. As she pressed the button a loud high-pitched signal was sent out, one that caused X and all the other Maverick Hunters to clutch at their ears and fall to the ground screaming.

"Ferina, it is time to go!" Midnight yelled over the sound.

"Good, and I've found the disk." Ferina said as she moved toward X's body, leaning down and taking the disk.

Just as her hand touched the disk she screamed in pain. A large, yet thinly pointed, Saber had pierced her chest. Midnight spun toward her at the sound of her scream, and cursed as he saw Dr. Cain still standing, his blade through Ferina's body. Dr. Cain pulled the blade from Ferina's chest and watched her fall. She was dead, just another casualty of war. But the doctor had forgotten Midnight.

The signal that Ferina had created was suddenly broken, and X watched in horror at what was to follow.

Midnight ran at the doctor, who quickly turned to try and protect himself. But it was too late; Midnight took his own blade and slashed at the doctor, cutting his arm deeply. The doctor screamed and fell to the floor, which followed by all of the hunters opening fire at Midnight. Midnight cursed and made a dash for the window, which he then jumped out. He had escaped, but not without leaving his mark.

X ran toward Dr. Cain. "Doctor! Are you alright!"

Dr. Cain clutched his arm, his hand now covered in blood. "I'm fine! Just get a doctor in here!"

X turned toward Zero, who quickly ran to the intercom and called for help.

_An unknown figure attacked the doctor…._

"_It's all your fault X…."_

_This…this is my fault…_

"Doctor…I'm so sorry…This…this is my fault…"

Dr. Cain smiled at X. "This is not your fault X, no matter what those dreams say…"

_I headed the operation that got Axl hurt…_

_If I had killed Ferina in our first fight than she wouldn't have return to get the disk…_

_If I had stopped her than the doctor wouldn't have been hurt…_

_This…is…all….my fault…._


	9. V is for Victory

_Axl…this is all my fault…_

These where the words that ran through the mind of young X as he sat in the Maverick Hunter HQ garden. Outside the city was filled with happiness and peace, but inside the base…things where not so peaceful.

When Signas learned that Dr. Cain's lab had been attacked, and the doctor injured, he immediately called for the entire base to be on lock down. No one could leave, and no one could enter. Dr. Cain's office was being guarded by a group of hunters, and searched for any signs of infections devices, such as cameras.

Sometimes, X thought, Signas got a little carried away with security. But if the base didn't have as much security as it did, it probably wouldn't have even alerted the base of the attack inside the doctor's lab. In the past the security system had to be activated by a manual switch on the wall, but Signas ordered that it be upgraded so that if even a window was cut the entire base would react. This system worked great when there was an intruder, but was known to have many false alarms.

As X sat alone in the darkness of the garden he felt helpless. _This…is all my fault…the dreams where right…_

Slowly a figure hidden in the shadows began to move forward, and when it did, caused a plant to rustle slightly. X jumped from his chair, and pointed at the figure with his buster armed.

"Who's there!" X yelled, ready to fire at the intruder.

"X! It's me!" said a voice, one that X knew with all his heart.

The figure stepped from the shadows and revealed herself to be Alia. X moved forward and Alia wrapped her arms around X in a giant hug.

"Sorry Alia…Just don't do things like that…I get…jumpy." X mumbled.

Alia smiled at X and pulled away from him. "Are you alright? When we heard the alarm, Zero and I, we got really worried. The mavericks didn't hurt you or anything, did they?"

X chuckled. "Oh, come on Alia. You of all people should know that I can take care of myself."

Alia giggled. "I know, I just worry about you a lot. And you've been acting so strange since those dreams started happening, it's like you're never happy…"

X sighed and sat back in his chair; Alia moved and sat in a chair next to him, extending her hand over the table and gripping X's hands.

"Alia…These dreams, they just…scare me…I haven't been able to sleep in weeks…"

Alia patted her hand against X's. "It's ok, they're just dreams. They say that dreams sometimes show you what's going to happen before it happens. Only the dreams show it in a slightly different way…"

"Well, I hope the dreams stop soon, before someone else gets hurt…"

Yet again Midnight Mare stood aboard the cruiser, in the same place as before. This time however, Ferina was gone, killed in the assault on the Maverick Hunter HQ. It seemed that without her on the ship that something was missing.

Yet again, the same dark man hidden in the shadows sat on the screen, his eyes blazing with anger.

"Midnight…you have failed me…" the man said, in an almost shocked tone.

Midnight bowed his head in defeat. "I am sorry sir…The plan was…it was foolproof…I blame an error in my judgment as to how we lost…"

The man chuckled slightly, crossing one of his legs over the other to before more comfortable. "It is not your fault that the mission failed, Midnight. But the fault of Ferina's, if she had accomplished her mission at the start, we wouldn't have had to waste time, manpower, and valuable resources to retrieve the disk…"

Midnight raised his head toward his master. "If I may ask sir, what is on the disk?"

The dark man's eyes narrowed, his voice becoming calm. "…The disk holds vital information on the Maverick Hunters…information that we will need in what is to come…"

Midnight merely smiled. "Is there any word of "The Operation?"

The man chuckled. "Everything is running fine. I have sent a team to a naval base just outside of the city. Soon phase two of my plan will begin. Midnight, you should rest. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day."

Midnight bowed to the man. "As you wish, master V."


	10. Revelations

_NO! NO NOT AGAIN! PLEASE! NO!_

X once again stood in the darkness of the same strange room in his nightmares. The man once again had taken a seat on a large chair before X, and to the right was the torture area. Each night the dream was slightly different, but the basics where the same.

The man in the darkness was revealed slightly more than usual. A large window sat behind him, casting an ominous pale light upon him. The man was about the same height as X, he had neatly combed black hair with large pure white streaks. His face was young, but the man's voice revealed that he had seen many years. He wore dark black and deep grey armor, but wore a large white coat over it, much like the same coat worn by the doctors and scientists at the base.

But all of this was of no concern to X; he cared not what the man looked like, only the pain he would soon feel when X had to watch another of his friends get hurt.

The man smiled at X, turning toward the torture area. This was where X gasped.

There was a large tank of water, much like a giant fish tank. There was nothing in the tank, except one figure. The figure in this tank was a shock to X. X felt like he was going to be sick, for floating inside the tank, his eyes closed, was Zero.

Zero had a large black cloth tied around his mouth, another cloth bound his hands. There was no life in Zero's body at all, and he simply floated in the dark water. Zero was dead.

As X gazed upon this horror he noticed a small trail of red mist that was moving from Zero's chest. X moved closer and saw a large gunshot wound on Zero's chest. His best friend had been shot, bound, gagged, and thrown into a tank to drown.

X turned toward the chair where the man sat, but was surprised to see that the man wasn't there. Suddenly two black gloved hands gripped X's arms from behind. X cried out as the strange figure then tied X's hands with the same black cloth that had tied Zero's.

"S-Stop! W-Who are you!" X yelled as the man pushed X toward the tank of water.

The man chuckled, and X could feel his breath against the back of his neck. "My name is but one letter, V. I am the darkness that surrounds you, I am the fear that you feel, I am your nightmare that will follow you until death…"

X opened his mouth to speak, but as he did so V slipped a black cloth around X's mouth, silencing the hunter.

The two of them moved forward to a large ladder on the tank, and V pushed X up it. Upon reaching the top X turned toward his attacker, his eyes wide with fear. V had large, catlike, yellow eyes. The eyes shinned with glee as he pushed out, knocking X into the tank.

X plunged into the water, unable to move at all. He struggled, trying to pull his hands out of the binding, but V had tied the knot to tight, and X couldn't move his hands. X then started kicking with his feet, pushing his way to the top of the water. Once he reached the surface he turned once again toward V, and his heart sank.

X then noticed that a long chain was tied to his ankle, and attached to the chain was a large weight. V held the large weight in his hands and grinned at X.

"Don't worry X, I'll make sure I take good care of your dear Alia…"

X tried to scream at V, but he could make no sound. The large weight plunged into the water, and quickly pulled X down along with it. X struggled, pushing his way forward, trying to escape the end that was to come.

The weight continued it's decent, and finally slammed into the bottom of the tank. X pushed harder, harder, and harder still, trying to force his way to the surface. But each time he moved the weight simply held strong.

X started to feel weak; it was like all of his strength had suddenly been sapped from his body. He pushed once, twice, and finally realized that it was the end. He had no more strength…it was over. X felt light headed, his body was no longer under his control. He simply closed his eyes, and embraced the deep sleep that called to him.

_CRASH!_

X jolted out of bed, for yet another night. Quickly X raised his hands to his face, they weren't bound. He opened his mouth and found that the gag was gone. He wasn't drowning; he was lying in his bed. It had been nothing more than a nightmare.

…_Zero…_

X slowly rose from bed and moved to his bathroom, splashing some water on his face. He looked in the mirror and saw that he was quite pale; the nightmare had really taken its toll. X reached out to the large glass on the counter and started to fill it with water. As he took a drink he noticed that his hands were shaking uncontrollably.

…_Axl…Zero…._

Suddenly X realized what was happening. He ran back into his room and started to put on his armor. As he did he glanced at the clock. It read, 5:25 A.M.

X then dashed from his room, running down the halls toward Dr. Cain's office. He had to speak to the doctor; he had found the meaning of the nightmares.

But how he wished he was wrong...


	11. Race

"!" X cried as he burst through the large wooden doors that marked the entrance to the doctor's lab.

Dr. Cain was sitting at the large table, his chair turned toward his computer, the only evidence of the doctor being hurt was a slight limp when he walked, and a white cloth was tied on his arm where he had been cut during the attack on the base. Quickly he spun the chair around and saw X running up to him, his face pale as snow. Something was wrong, Dr. Cain could feel it.

"X, what's wrong? You look pale…"

X gasped for breath as he stood before the doctor. "I…know…what…the…dreams…mean…" he panted, still trying to catch his breath.

Dr. Cain bolted from his chair. "You do? What's going on then?"

"Doctor, the night before Axl was hurt in the crash I had a dream where he was engulfed in flames, I had a dream where you where attack just before the attack happened. I think my dreams are telling me what is going to happen, right before it happens!"

Dr. Cain smiled. "Great, then whatever happens in your dreams we just need to prevent!"

X sighed. "That's the problem…my last dream said that Zero is going to drown and that I will as well when I try and save him…"

Dr. Cain quickly pressed a button on the console of his computer. The intercom clicked on, and an operator at the command bridge took the call.

"Yes?" asked the operator in an official tone.

"I want to speak to Signas right away. We need to send hunters to Zero's quarters right now, there is about to be an attempt on his life!"

The operator came back, his voice shaking. "I'm afraid I can't do that doctor…"

"And why the hell not!" screamed X, mad that the operator wouldn't do his job.

"I can't send anyone to Zero's quarters," said a new voice,"because Zero is gone on an assignment! I just sent him to the naval base, a group of mecanaloids started acting up."

Dr. Cain fell back into his chair. "Signas, pull him out! Get him back here now!"

Signas smiled. "What the hell do you think I'm doing right now! Zero's operator can't raise him, it's like the transmission was blocked!"

X screamed, kicking over a trashcan as he ran from the room.

Dr. Cain spun toward him. "X! Wait, you can't! Don't you remember your fate?"

"I don't care doctor! Zero's my friend, and I'm not about to let him die!" X screamed as he ran down the halls, making his way to the hanger. His FLYTE bike sat in wait; it was time to help Zero.

"Dammit," Signas yelled, slamming his fist down on the arm rests of his chair. "Operator! Keep trying to send a transmission to Zero. And someone find out where the hell X went!"

The door flew open as two hunters ran into the room, closely followed by Alia. The hunters ran up to Signas, each of their faces grim.

"Sir, Dr. Cain says he thinks that the mavericks that have been attacking us are going to try and kill Zero. X ran off to try and stop them."

Signas cursed yet again, turning toward a hunter in black armor nearby.

"I want you to send out all available hunters, forget the security in the base, send them ALL! If we can save X and Zero, and reach them in time, we just might be able to catch the guys who have been attacking us!"

The hunter saluted and ran from the room, yelling orders to different hunters as he passed them.

Alia gasped, and Signas turned to her.

"Alia, I want you to try and get a transmission to X. I want him to return to base, and someone get Dr. Cain in here, I want to know just what the hell is going on!"

Alia ran to her desk and nearly jumped into her chair.

_X…please…don't do anything stupid or reckless…_

As the entire base was erupting into action, Dr. Cain was moving quickly down the halls of the Infirmary. As he moved down the hall he took note that there was only one nurse on duty in the area. This would be the perfect chance, maybe the only.

Dr. Cain threw open the door to Axl's room.

Axl was lying on the bed, all his repairs complete. He was supposed to be staying at the Infirmary a few more days to fully recover, but the doctor wasn't going to wait that long.

"Hey, Dr. Cain! What's going on? I've been hearing all kinds of noise." Axl said, leaning up in bed.

"Axl, it's time for you to leave. X and Zero are in trouble, life or death trouble. I need you to go and save them!" Dr. Cain said, walking up to Axl and removing all the medical equipment attached to him.

"But the nurse said I have to stay here another night…."

Dr. Cain looked at Axl with a skeptical glare, and chuckled. "Do you really want to stay in this tiny room, lying in bed for another night?"

Axl smiled. "Hell no!"

The doctor grabbed Axl's arm and pulled him from the bed. "Then GO! X and Zero are at the naval base, you have to get there fast!"

Axl grinned. "Don't worry doc, I'll be there in no time." With that the young hunter ran from the room, down the hall of the Infirmary.

As he ran down the hall the nurse glanced up and saw him.

"HEY! You can't leave yet!" she yelled, jumping up from her chair.

"Sorry, important business gotta go!"

Axl burst out the doors of the Infirmary and ran down the hall, as he did the nurse sighed and fell back in her chair.

"…Great…just great…"

Dr. Cain moved down the hall toward her and smiled as she looked up.

"Don't worry; you won't lose your job."

The nurse giggled. "You sure?"

Dr. Cain smiled. "As long as you never speak of this to anyone…"

With that the doctor left the room, leaving the nurse alone in the lobby. She merely sat back in her chair and sighed.

"…My sister was right when she said this job would be surprising…"


	12. The Naval Maze

_There it is…the naval base…_

Straight ahead of X was a large building built against the ocean. Large docks surrounded the building, allowing ships to leave and come to port. The base was still to this day in use, but had been damaged in a fight with a group of mavericks. After the battle some hunters had been assigned to clean up the mess and try and rebuild. It was during this rebuilding process that the mecanaloids started to go nuts.

The building itself was a large dome-like building, on the right side of the building was a large warehouse and boat repair dock. The left side held the largest portion of the docking area, along with the north side facing the sea. The south side held the large parking area and security gate.

X, pushing his FLYTE bike to max speed, flew across the road to the base. Few cars ever left, or even entered, the base. Because of that the roads where mostly clear, and X was able to force his way toward the base with little interruption.

The sky overhead was a pale red and blue mixture, as dawn had began to smile upon the land. When X had left the base, just shortly after 5:30, the sun had started to push its way over the mountains. By now it had already rose and smiled in a half shape over the mountains.

X slowed his bike to a stop after reaching the base, but not before plowing through the security gate. As he came to a stop he noticed that Zero's bike, one like his only red in color, was parked up ahead. That meant that Zero was still there, but for how long had he been there?

_Please…don't let me be to late…_

X burst into the base, running a door that had been cut into the side of the building by Zero's Saber. Upon entering the room X found himself in a large circular room. In the center was a desk that too was in a circle, four chairs sat inside the circle on in each cardinal direction. There were a multitude of paths to take from here, a path on the right and left, three at the head of the room, and a large balcony with staircase leading up to it above.

The question was, which way did Zero go?

X ran toward the desk in the center of the room and jumped over it. Standing in the circle he could see that there was a group of computers on the desk. The screens where still on, and flickered slightly. X moved to one of the screens and looked at it.

On the screen was a large map of the entire base, and there were five dots on the map. One, X assumed, was himself, for it stood in the center of the lobby area. Another dot was down the right hallway, and three dots where close together on the center north hall.

"…The mavericks are north…so I guess, Zero's to the right?" X whispered as he jumped back over the desk. As he did so he noticed a small handheld map of the base, it too had the small dots on it. X quickly grabbed the map and dashed down the hallway after Zero.

_Please…let me get to him in time…_

As X ran down the hall toward Zero another FLYTE bike slowed to a stop outside.

This bike was black and lined in white along the rim, and slowly a figure got off of the bike.

He moved toward the door and smiled.

"…So…It shall begin…"

Author note

Sorry about the short chapter, haha, but it had to be done.

Don't worry, the next chapter will be longer.

See you soon,

Megaman Trigger 2.0


	13. Struggle for Power

Alia sighed as she tried, for the tenth time, to lock onto X's location. Each time she came close to pinpointing his location and sending him a transmission the signal was lost. This was no normal; someone had to be blocking transmissions.

Signas stood behind Alia, looking at her console and watching her reflection in the computers screen. Alia noticed this and rose up and looked at Signas via his own reflection on her screen. Signas smiled and placed a supportive hand on her shoulder.

"Alia…I know you're worried about X. We all are. He's been acting really strange lately, and it seems that it won't be ending anytime soon."

Alia smiled faintly at Signas. "Don't worry sir, I'm fine. I know X will get through this…it's just a phase I guess."

Signas chuckled. "Yes, a phase…have you had any luck raising him on his communicator?" he asked, suddenly turning serious.

"No sir. Every time I start to lock on to his location I lose his signal. Then by the time I find the signal again the lock was shut down."

Signas sighed. "It's just as I thought…we're being jammed…"

Alia felt more and more worried each second she couldn't talk to X. "Sir…what do you want me to do now?"

Signas turned away and started to walk away; as he walked away he glanced back at Alia over his shoulder. "…Just keep trying Alia…just keep trying…"

Alia sighed and turned her attention back to her console in defeat.

…_X…Please…come back…_

Dr. Cain slowly moved his way down the hall and stepped into a highly active Command Bridge. As he stepped inside a group of hunters flew by him, trying to get to the first method of transportation that they could find, may it be bike or jet.

Signas stood at the head of the bridge and turned as the door opened. When he saw the doctor he moved toward him, his expression showing just how mad he really was. Dr. Cain smiled at the reploid and spoke slowly.

"Hello Signas, what seems to be the problem?" he asked, putting on the act of a senile old man.

"You know damn well what the problem is! X just ran off after Zero, and then I get two hunters up here telling me that you think that these mavericks that have been attacking us are going to kill Zero, just what is going on?"

Dr. Cain sighed. "…X has been having these dreams that show him a brief glimpse into the future. In this tiny look on life he saw that the mavericks are going to drown Zero at the naval base. After he told me about the dream he ran off to save Zero."

Signas looked confused. "So X has been having dreams that tell him the future?"

"Yes, he had one right before Axl was hurt in the crash and I was attacked."

This comment enraged Signas. "And he did NOTHING to stop it!"

Dr. Cain exploded. "SIGNAS! JUST WHAT THE HELL WAS HE SUPPOSED TO DO! Was he supposed to tell Axl he couldn't be at the fight because he had a BAD DREAM! Was he supposed to order me to hide somewhere because he THOUGHT I would be attacked! You of all people know that you can't do anything on hunches and coincidences."

Signas chuckled. "…Once is a mysterious event…twice is a coincidence…but THREE TIMES! Now that's just nuts!"

Dr. Cain sighed, turning away from Signas. "Well don't worry, I sent Axl to bring X and Zero back here…"

Signas jumped. "You sent AXL!"

"Yes, I sent Axl, are you deaf?"

"Axl was recovering from his injuries…" Signas said flatly.

Dr. Cain quickly turned back to Signas, his face filled with rage. "Well not anymore!"

Slowly Axl pulled up to the naval base. X and Zero's bikes where already here, and so was a third. Jumping off of his bike Axl ran toward the mystery bike.

It was a black bike, like his, only on the side of it was a large DB symbol. Clearly this was not a Maverick Hunter bike…which meant that the maverick was here.

_Well that's not good…_

Axl ran into the lobby of the base and found himself in the very same round room that X had been in. As he looked around, trying to see down each hallway, he sighed and looked at the ceiling.

"…Please let me be right." Axl whispered as he burst down the right hallway.

As he entered the long hallway, marked at both ends by a large archway entrance, he noticed that there were many different doors that led to a multitude of rooms. Slowly he turned to one and read a plate on a door, it was an office.

Axl continued to run straight and then found that the path split in two directions, a staircase leading to the second floor, and another hall leading to the right. Glancing down the hall to the right Axl could faintly see a shadow move, a shadow that he recognized.

"X…" Axl whispered to himself as he turned to the right and ran toward the shadow.

When he had made it to the hallway he looked franticly, trying to find another sign of life. Just around the corner was a shadow that slowly moved up a flight of stairs. Axl dashed toward the staircase just in time, for at the top of the stair he heard a loud yell.

Cursing Axl ran up the staircase and out onto a large balcony to a section of the dock itself. Axl now stood outside of the building, on a large metal walkway that connected to the building and yet again to the large repair warehouse up ahead. The walkway moved south, then turned and headed north until it reached a large round platform. On the platform was a control unit, used to control the large crane that sat on the ground below the walkway. It was on this platform that Axl could see two figures, two figures he knew all too well. It was X and Zero!

However, as Axl ran to them, he noticed that there was a third figure. Axl didn't know who the third figure was, but suddenly that didn't matter. The mystery figure lashed out and kicked X, sending him flying on the platform. As he was falling from the kick he lost his balance and fell from the platform, falling over the railing. As he was about to fall to his death X reached and grabbed the edge of the platform, hanging on for his life.

Zero saw this and ran at the figure, the mystery reploid and Zero started to clash blades. Again and again they struck at each other, and blocked the others blow. But just as the man was about to lose…

Axl dashed forward, moving closer to the platform.

"ZERO! X!"

At the last minute Zero turned his attention to Axl, and in that second the dark figure knocked Zero over the edge of the platform and yet again over the railing. As he fell X yelled out to him and grabbed his friend's hand. Now X was hanging form the platform, with Zero hanging to his other arm.

Glancing downward X saw that his nightmare had came true, for below the platform was nothing but water. The land ended just before the platform, making a dock where the crane sat and then flowing into the ocean.

If they fell it was all over…


	14. A Battle to Remember

"_ZERO! X!"_

Axl cursed as he saw his friend go over the edge of the platform, and dashing forward made it to the platform itself. Standing before him was the mystery shadow, a tall black maverick that resembled a horse…Midnight.

Midnight turned toward Axl and chuckled. "So, the Maverick Hunters are desperate enough to send YOU after me! Hahaha, what a joke!"

Axl smirked. "Joke?"

"Yes. First then sent Zero here, as I had wanted. Then X dashed off to save him, but now the Hunters and desperate enough to send a USELESS reploid like YOU here?"

Axl could feel his face grow hot with rage. "…Useless, huh? He whispered.

Midnight, who had turned away from Axl didn't hear his comment and turned back to him. "What was that?"

Axl started to laugh, starting as a chuckle that slowly grew into full laughter. Midnight glared at Axl and slowly stepped toward him.

"…What's so funny?"

Axl grinned, his features growing dark and almost threatening. "Well…let's see just how useless I am!" he yelled, jumping toward Midnight.

Midnight tried to move away, but had been surprised by the hunter's sudden attack. Axl had leapt forward with enough force to knock Midnight to the ground of the platform with quite a loud thud. As he hit the ground Axl raised his gun to Midnight's head.

Midnight's face was filled with fear. "…N-Now…y-you wouldn't kill me, would you?"

Axl smirked. "…And why not?"

Midnight smiled. "…You don't have what it takes to kill me…"

Just as Axl had thought he had won, Midnight's body began to shimmer, and then disappeared all together. Axl quickly jumped up off the floor of the platform and looked around, trying to find any sign of the maverick.

"COME OUT! SHOW YOURSELF!"

Axl could hear a slight noise behind him, and quickly turned to see Midnight with his blades drawn. Midnight ran at Axl, who quickly evaded the attack with a roll to the left. As he rolled Axl shot out a hail of bullets at the maverick, but each bullet seemed to bounce off.

Midnight laughed as he ran at Axl yet again, this time Axl had anticipated the attack and dashed to the left again, avoiding the attack for a second time. Midnight screamed as he ran at Axl again, but this time Axl had a plan.

When Axl had dashed he had positioned himself directly at the edge of the platform, just against the railing. The railing was tall enough, and wide enough, that there was space enough for Axl to hang just under it. When Midnight ran at him Axl dropped off the side of the platform and grabbed to the edge of the large metal circle itself.

Midnight had struck downward with his blades, and as he did so had gotten them buried into the railing. This was Axl's chance. Quickly he, like a pendulum, began to swing his weight back and forth and finally flipped backwards, back onto the platform. He had landed just behind Midnight, and with one good dashing kick, which happened to strike the maverick's ass, had hit Midnight hard enough that the maverick lost his own balance.

His blades acted like hinges, and quickly helped in spinning him over the railing and toward his death. As he spun Axl could hear the sickening crack as the maverick's arms where both dislocated. Midnight hung loosely over the platform, his arms in a very uncomfortable position, being on his body backwards now.

As Midnight hung from the platform, nothing under him but a long drop to his death he looked up toward Axl.

"W-Wait! Please, you can't let me fall! Please, don't let me die!" he yelled.

Axl smiled. "…and you call me useless, you're nothing but a coward…"

Midnight cursed Axl, and the hunter merely stepped forward and grabbed the maverick's arms. With a quick pull Axl removed Midnight's left arm from the railing, and left the maverick hanging by his right arm.

Midnight started screaming, but quickly stopped as he saw he wasn't going to fall…yet.

"…Any last words?" Axl asked, trying to sound as menacing as he could.

Midnight chuckled. "It doesn't matter what you do to me…It doesn't matter if I die…No one, not even X and Zero, can stop The Brotherhood."

This caught Axl's attention. "The Brotherhood? Tell me about them!"

Midnight laughed. "In your dreams!"

Axl grabbed Midnight's other arm and began to pull it from the railing when Midnight started screaming.

"NO! WAIT! I'll tell you! Just please, don't kill me!"

Axl smiled. "Just shut up and stay there…"

Midnight chuckled. "Oh yeah, like I'm gonna go anywhere…"

Axl moved back to his friends who were still hanging from platform. He popped his head out over the side and smiled at his friends. X and Zero both looked up at him and smiled.

"Hey, need some help?"

X smiled. "What do you think?"

Axl reached down and grabbed X's arm and pulled him back up onto the platform. X then helped Zero back onto the platform, and all three hunters sighed.

X put his hand on Axl's shoulder and smiled. "Thanks Axl…"

Axl grinned. "No problem."

Zero chuckled. "And good job too, you kicked the maverick's ass faster than we ever could."

All three hunters laughed, but turned serious in a flash when all their communicators started going wild. All three hunters raised their hands to their helmets and accepted the transmissions.

One voice came over the com, and all three hunters smiled at the sound of her voice.

"X! Zero! Axl! Are you there!" Alia asked, sounding quite exhausted.

"Alia, thank god your there!" Zero said.

"You have no idea how great it is to hear your voice." Axl said with a smile.

Alia sighed. "Thank god you picked up. I've been trying since you left Zero, to get a transmission to you. We were being jammed."

Zero chuckled. "Well, we've got good news. We're alive, all of us. And we have the maverick prisoner. So send a team over here and let's get back to base!"

"Don't worry, over half the base will be at your location in a few minutes. They all sent off to find you all when we learned that the black maverick was going to be there."

X this entire time had remained silent, and with a smile he pressed to his communicator.

"Alia…" he said softly. Zero and Axl stopped talking and let X and Alia take the air.

"Yes X?" she asked, in a relieved tone.

X paused, smiling at his friends. "…Everything is going to be alright…"

The three hunters heard Alia sniff; clearly she had started to cry.

"I know X…I know…"

Just then the three hunters, and Midnight, all turned to the sky and saw that a HUVER copter, and three jets where heading toward them. Out in the distance they could see a large group of FLYTE bikes speeding across the road and sand.

It was time to go home…


	15. A Private Moment

X, Zero, and Axl all slowed their bikes to a stop as they entered the Maverick Hunter Base. Behind them was over half of the base, slowing their own bikes to a stop and pulling their jets and HUVER copters in for a landing.

X and Zero turned behind them and saw that Midnight was still with them. He had been placed in a cage of metal bars, electrified so he couldn't escape. The cage had been flown to the base by the HUVER copter, and as the copter opened its hatch the cage was wheeled out, a large group of hunters guarding the cage.

Axl chuckled as the cage was pushed by. Midnight turned to Axl and spat, causing X and Zero to smile at their friend.

"Something tells me he doesn't like you." X said with a chuckle.

Axl grinned. "I think I like it better that way."

As the hunter escort opened the giant doors to enter the base Signas and Alia exited. X turned back toward the door, and upon seeing Alia got off of his bike. X started to move toward Alia, but Alia reached him much faster than he had expected, wrapping him in a giant hug.

X chuckled as he pulled Alia close against him. "…I didn't know you missed me that much, I was only gone for an hour."

Alia smiled, pulling away from X. "No X, since you had those dreams you haven't been the same…"

X smiled, raising his hand to Alia's cheek. "Well I think those dreams will be gone for a while."

"Good, because you and I need some time alone." Alia said, kissing X lightly and wrapping her arms around his neck.

Signas, who had continued to move toward Zero and Axl, chuckled and turned to his two hunters.

"Axl, Zero, very good work at catching the maverick. Maybe we can get some information out of him during interrogation."

Zero grinned. "Well you should congratulate Axl, he's the one who caught the maverick, plus he saved me and X from falling to our deaths."

Signas smiled, turning toward Axl. "Really? Very good job Axl, haha maybe I should promote you." He said with a laugh.

Axl grinned. "As good as that offer sounds I'd have to say no, higher rank means more paperwork." This comment caused Signas, Zero, Axl, and all the hunters nearby to burst into laughter.

Zero then slowly peaked over Signas's shoulder and looked toward X and Alia. Then two of them where still standing there, holding each other tightly and kissing. Zero chuckled, which caused Axl to look toward them as well.

"Ugh, maybe we should get inside before those two do _something_." Axl said with a chuckle.

Signas turned, and upon seeing them did a double take. He then smiled shyly at Axl and Zero. "…Ah, yes. Let's get inside."

X and Alia completely ignored Signas and all the others as they walked inside the base, the two lovebirds where too focused on each other to even care what happened around them. As the door to the base slowly slid shut X pulled away from Alia with a smile.

"Maybe we should go inside…" he said, before kissing her again.

Alia giggled. "Agreed…and let's go somewhere private."

"…This is most unfortunate…" mumbled a figure sitting on a large throne, hidden in the darkness.

A figure was standing at his side, also hiding in the darkness. As he spoke he hissed words that involved the letters "S" and "C." The figure was a tall reploid clad in yellow armor. The armor had been made onto his body in large sections, and each section was slid underneath another to create scales. He had bright green eyes, and four extremely sharp pointed teeth.

"Please…forgive me sir…I was not aware that the hunter Axl was operational at the moment of the attack…had I known that Axl was to join the fight I would not have sent Midnight…"

The man on the throne rose from the chair slowly, stepping into a shaft of silver light. The light illuminated his body and showed his features. His neatly combed black hair was, for once, in a mess, the white in his hair seemed to glow in the light from the moon. His armor of black and grey was more visible now and there was a large, and dangerously deep, gash along his chest. His white coat was lined in a blue trim, and tied tightly to his waist by a black belt with a gold buckle. On the back of his coat was a large DB written in, what looked like, red blood.

"…Midnight is strong…He will not crack under the pressure of the Maverick Hunter's interrogation." Said the gold reploid.

"It is still quite unfortunate that we have lost a Brother. That is the second Brother we have lost of late…"

The yellow reploid sighed. "Yes sir and we also lost Lady Ferina…"

V slowly moved further across the room, opening the large oak doors to the rest of his base. As he opened the doors he turned to his reploid brother.

"…Since Nocturne's death the Brotherhood has been falling apart…do you think Midnight will tell the hunters of us?"

The reploid stepped toward his master, and with a smile spoke his next words. These where words that sent V into a cackle of laughter, and filled him with great peace.

"…I will not allow Midnight to speak of us sir…he knows the penalty for treason…"

V burst into laughter as he left the room, leaving the gold reploid alone. Slowly the reploid turned back toward the large throne, now empty. Above the throne was a large tapestry and upon it was a single letter, set on a black background.

A very large, sewn in red, W.


	16. Interrogation

The interrogation room inside the Maverick Hunter Base was a reasonably sized room. The room was made in two sections, much like many other large interrogation rooms. One side was a large room for recording information, and the other side was a room consisting of a table and a few chairs, the walls in both rooms where a pale white, divided by a one-way mirror.

Signas stood on the side of the recording room, a few hunters at the desks using the computers. Inside the actual room itself where Axl, sitting in a chair with his feet propped on the table, X in the right corner, and Zero standing in the center of the room ahead of the table. Midnight was seated at the table, two hunters standing by him to hold him in place.

Slowly Zero leaned across the table, placing his hands on the table for support. The table was yet another piece of Dr. Cain's favorite furniture, another large oak table. The table was nice, but scratched easily.

Midnight glanced up at Zero with a false smile, exhaling in a large huff.

"…Now, I just want to ask you a few questions Midnight…Answer them truthfully and we might be able to come to a deal where you _don't_ get destroyed…lie, or make any of us think you're lying, and all deals are off…got it?"

Midnight answered with another large huff and a slight nod.

"Alright, now, when you where hanging from the platform you mention the Brotherhood. Just what is the Brotherhood?"

Midnight chuckled slightly and glared at Zero, his eyes blazing. "…The Brotherhood is a collection of reploids that fight for reploid independence…"

X, who had been propped against the wall, stepped forward. "What do you mean independence? Reploids are free just like all people of Earth…"

Midnight chuckled again, turning toward X with a sad smile. "You actually believe that? You are no more than slaves to the humans!"

Slowly the door inside the opposite room opened, and Signas turned to see who had entered. Dr. Cain, holding his cane tightly, entered the room and stepped to Signas's side. The two of them smiled at each other then turned to the mirror.

Back in the interrogation room the three hunters all turned to each other and exchanged a confused glance before turning to Midnight.

"What do you mean?" they all asked in unison.

Midnight chuckled again, the chuckle building into full laughter. "Reploids where created by humans, and for what? You Maverick Hunters enforce human law, so they don't have too. If you go to a mine, who do you see working there? Reploids. If you go to a farm, who is working there? Reploids! Humans created the reploid race for nothing more than slaves!"

Dr. Cain chuckled. "Is that why he thinks we created reploids? The human race created reploids to aid them in life, to give us more to live for than the everyday life. Reploids work in mines and farms because those places can be dangerous to humans…"

Zero sighed. "You really think that is what reploids are for?"

Midnight smiled. "I do, and so does the rest of the Brotherhood…"

Upon hearing the name "Brotherhood" Dr. Cain froze. He turned toward Signas with a awkward glance and slowly, unknown to Signas, backed out of the room. As he exited the room he practically sprinted down the hall.

_I have to get to the Hall of Records…_

Signas turned toward the doctor. "You know doc-" but he stopped short of his sentence as he realized that Dr. Cain was gone. Signas glanced around the room, turning to a hunter to his right.

"Did you see where the doctor went?" he asked in a confused tone.

The hunter shook his head "no," and returned to his work.

Axl, who had now began to get impatient with Midnight, had stood from his chair and moved toward the door.

"Come on X, Zero, he's not gonna listen to anything we tell him. I say we just shoot him and get it over with…"

Zero laughed and moved toward Axl, as he did he turned back to the maverick with a grin. "I'll have some more questions for you later."

As Zero and Axl left the room X remained in the corner, the two hunters at Midnight's side turned to him with a slight smile. X noticed them and motioned for them to leave. As they left their room Signas and the recording reploids left the other room. X moved to the door and closed it slowly; he then pulled out a chair and sat across from the maverick with a smile.

Midnight looked at him inquisitively. X leaned forward in his chair and crossed his hands on the table.

"…So…What can you tell me about the Brotherhood, off the record…and what can you tell me about these dreams I've been having that show what's going to happen, before it happens?"

Midnight smiled his face growing dark.

"…You should know about the Brotherhood, you are best friends with one of its members…"


	17. Crisis

sat at one of the large metal study desks inside the hall of records. A large holoscreen had opened before him, and he was watching silently as streams of information flew by. Slowly, and with a shaking hand, the doctor pressed the search button on the screen. With a grim face he slowly typed in his request, praying that he was wrong.

SEARCH: BROTHERHOOD, ZERO, DR. WILY

Axl, Zero, and Alia where all sitting together at a table in the cafeteria, the very same table they always sat at. The cafeteria was mostly empty, a few hunters where doing paperwork at the large tables, and a few where just sitting around talking. Other than a few stray words louder than others, the room was mostly quiet.

Alia turned toward Zero and giggled. Axl had just told Alia about the fight with Midnight, and his interpretation made it sound like he took on the entire maverick army and won singlehandedly. But when she stopped laughing and smiling she looked away from Zero, her face clouded.

Zero looked at her with concern. "What's wrong?"

Alia turned back to him with a smile. "Nothing…I just feel like…"

Zero nodded his head. "I feel it to…it's like something really bad is about to happen and all at once…"

Alia nodded, looking toward the door to exit the cafeteria. "I started getting the feeling when you arrested Midnight…"

Axl and Zero both started to laugh, but when Alia turned back to them they tried to stop, which was quite unsuccessful.

"What's so funny?"

Zero burst into laughter when Axl spoke these words. "I'm surprised that you could feel anything besides X tongue kissing you!"

Alia turned blood red and glared at Axl. "A-AXL!"

Axl burst into more laughter at Alia's outburst, but it was Zero this time who spoke the words that caused Alia to blush again.

"And who knows what you two did when you left for X's room, alone…"

Alia jumped up from the table and glared at Zero, his eyes burning with fury.

"If you want to make fun of X and me at least do it when I'm not in the room!"

Zero stopped laughing, his face falling from its state of joy to a serious and solemn frown.

"Alia…I'm sorry…I wasn't trying to offend you, I was just messing around…"

Alia sighed, sitting back in her chair. "No, I'm sorry…I know you two are just messing with me, but it just…"

Axl smiled. "I'm sorry, I crossed a line. Can we talk about something else now?"

But just as peace had returned to the entire group, let alone the base, a sudden and loud explosion was heard. Zero and Axl, instinctively, jumped from the table. The explosion was hard enough to cause the base to shake, and a table in the cafeteria shook violently, throwing papers all about.

Seconds after the explosion the alarms went wild.

ALL HUNTERS NEEDED IN INTERROGATION ROOM 3!

Zero and Axl both turned to each other with a grim face. Alia looked at them and tensed up.

"What's wrong?"

"Interrogation room 3 is the room that X and Midnight are in!"

Dr. Cain sighed, putting his head in his hands. On the screen before him was the item he had been looking for, the exact match to his search request. Oh how he had wished he had been wrong…

SEARCH RESULT

DOCUMENT 1-16

ISSUED BY: DR. CAIN

PASSWORD: *******

Zero, a maverick reploid located on the outskirts of a ruined lab, was created by Dr. Albert Wily, the very same man who created many robots of the time that had been labeled "berserkers." Dr. Wily created Zero to be an emotionless fighting machine, where as Dr. Light created X to be a savior for reploids and humans.

When Zero was first found he was a full maverick, being controlled by Dr. Wily's last orders. In the event of Dr. Wily's death it was rumored that approximately seven reploids like Zero had been created, pure copies of the one mentioned above. These copies where to be instructed by the head of the party, Zero himself.

However during a fight with Commander Sigma of the Maverick Hunters, and many other hunters prior to the completion of the Maverick Hunter force, Zero was damaged and the programming that had overridden his controls was destroyed. After painstakingly long amounts of test and repairs, Zero was cleared of his maverick status and allowed to join the hunters. During said tests, all of Zero's memory of the events of Maverick where deleted.

Unfortunately during a course of events that has soon transpired, parts of Zero's old memories have resurfaced. The organization that the five reploids where a part of was called "The Dark Brotherhood," however over time, as battles against the Brotherhood in other parts of the world have transpired, the "Dark" was dropped from the name, for the Brotherhood see themselves as saviors of the reploid race, by eradicating humans, who they say created reploids for nothing more than slaves.

The last known members of The Brotherhood are:

Ferina – Created as a spy unit for the organization, terminated in a attack on the base

Nocturne- Made by Dr. Wily but lost his memories when awakened. Was infected with Sigma Virus and killed last winter.

Zero – Brotherhood status terminated is now member of Maverick Hunters.

Midnight Mare – As of now has been captured by Maverick Hunter forces in Abel City.

V – True name unknown, is the head of the organization in Zero's absence.

Dr. Cain rose from his chair, his face clouded in fear and confusion.

_I thought I had seen that name before…Zero was a past member…_

_But if they aren't targeting Zero, just what is The Brotherhood after?_

But the doctor's thoughts were interrupted as the sirens blared.

ALL HUNTERS NEEDED IN INTERROGATION ROOM 3!

"…X…."


	18. The Price of War

The Maverick Hunter HQ was in chaos. Midnight Mare, member of the organization known as The Brotherhood, had been captured and placed in the interrogation room, Megaman X still speaking with him. As silence and peace had fallen over the base everyone was shocked when the alarms went off. A large explosion was felt, and heard, from the very room that X and Midnight where in.

After hearing the alarms Zero, Axl, and Alia, who had been sitting in the cafeteria at the time, rushed down the hall to their friend. At the same time the entire base bolted into action, hunters ran everywhere some shouting orders and others arming weapons as they barreled toward the sound.

Signas, who had been in his office at the time, had grabbed his Saber and was also en route to the interrogation room, Dr. Cain, who was inside the Hall of Records was also on his way. Everyone wanted to ensure the safety of the base, of X, and the recapture of Midnight.

Zero, Axl, and Alia where the first ones on the scene. As they pushed open the large metal crash doors, that had automatically fell during the explosion but disarmed due to the force of the blast, they saw that the entire section of the base was in ruins. A large hole made up the right wall, which made a straight drop to the ground below, four stories below. The room itself, where X and Midnight had been, was nothing but a large pile of rubble.

Alia stepped forward into the destruction. "X!" she yelled at the top of her lungs.

Zero and Axl both armed their weapons, knowing that Midnight, if not trapped by the rubble, was on the loose.

Silence filled the air following Alia's voice. Again she yelled, hoping and praying that X would answer her. No sound came to anyone, which could mean one of two things. Either X could hear them but was unable to speak, or X was…dead…

The door on the opposite side of the hall opened, unseen by the group due to the rubble that blocked the entire passage. Signas and a group of hunters stood on that side, scanning the area with small handheld devices for any sign of the maverick, and X.

As they scanned the area Signas signaled for everyone to switch to an X-ray vision, this allowed them to see into the rubble and past it as well. The group scanned the area once, twice, and then three times. Each time they found nothing…or did they?

A hunter near Signas suddenly jumped.

"Sir! I found something!"

Signas moved toward him. "What is it? Speak!"

The hunter showed Signas his display, on the screen was the inside of the interrogation room. The table was turned on its side creating a barrier. A figure was behind the barrier, the only thing you could see of him was his arm draped over the top of the table, the armor was blue.

"Dig him out immediately!"

V, master of The Brotherhood, stood in the center of a large command center much like the Maverick Hunter's own. In the center of the room was a large holoscreen which now showed pictures of the Maverick Hunter base, smoke trailing from the large hole in its side.

All around the room where large computer terminals and mavericks sat at them working diligently, one maverick glanced over his shoulder and looked at his leader.

"Master V! We are receiving a transmission from the Maverick Hunter HQ."

V smiled. "Patch it through…"

After several seconds, and many security firewalls later, a figure appeared on the screen above V, Midnight Mare. A large section of armor had been ripped from the side of Midnight's face, and his left arm had been completely destroyed.

"Master V, this is Midnight Mare reporting in…"

V's features darkened as he turned his attention to Midnight. "I am pleased to see you alive Midnight…however I worry that the hunters may learn of out location during this transmission."

Midnight chuckled. "Do not worry sir, the entire base is on alert after my escape, thanks to some explosives."

V grinned. "Very good Midnight, now…what have you told them about Us?"

Midnight's face fell. "I have said nothing of The Brotherhood sir…"

"Is that right? You're going to stick to those words?"

Midnight nodded. "I would never lie to you sir…"

V's features darkened as much as they could. He bellowed at Midnight, causing everyone around to quake in fear. V was mad, and you do not like it when V is mad…

"YOU DARE LIE TO ME YOU IMPUDENT WORM!" V yelled, causing Midnight to cringe.

"But sir-"

"I know you are lying! Just moments ago I received an alert saying that someone searched the Hall of Records for information on The Brotherhood! WHAT DID YOU TELL THEM!"

Midnight merely sighed. "Sir…I-"

"Do not give me excuses Midnight. You know the penalty for treason!"

"No sir, please!"

V slowly removed a small controller from his person; on it was a large collection of buttons. He moved his fingers to one button and hovered over its position as he spoke.

"The Brotherhood will truly miss you Midnight…I am so sorry it has came to this…"

Midnight opened his mouth, trying to beg, yet again, for his life. But V pushed his finger down, slamming into the button. As he did so Midnight began to feel a searing heat fill him. His body jerked uncontrollably in a collection of rapid spasm, before he finally fell to the ground dead.

The screen slowly flickered away and revealed the Maverick Hunter Base once again. All the mavericks returned to their work, leaving there master alone in silence.

The same golden maverick as before stepped to V's side, and smiled at him.

"It is all just the cost of progress…soon we will no longer need this organization…for soon the Operation will be complete…"


	19. Love is a many splendid thing

The Infirmary was made into the Maverick Hunter HQ as a place for hunters to recuperate after being damaged. Being a reploid meant that after a few repairs you where done, your body didn't heal like humans did over time. But the Infirmary had been made, more for human members of the hunters which there were a few mostly working as aids and a few scientists. This was how the Infirmary was seen by most hunters, but not by Alia.

Alia saw the Infirmary as a death wish. Everyone who went there was always badly hurt, and returned to battle only to be sent back moments later. But right now Alia had pushed aside her feelings about the place; the only thing that mattered to her was X.

A group of hunters had dug X out of the rubble, and he was now lying in his own bed in his own room of the Infirmary. X's condition was, as the doctor had said, critical but stable. Alia had yelled at him, "Critical but Stable? That's not even possible!" But nonetheless X seemed to be alright, he was sleeping soundly with Alia sitting at his side. Axl, and Zero had been sent out by Signas to locate Midnight and so far had not returned.

Alia reached out and took hold of X's hand, squeezing it gently. She looked at X, tears falling down her face.

"…X…Why do things like this always happen to us? Why can't everyone just leave us all in peace?"

Alia had whispered the words, not expecting a comeback. But when she heard one it took her a moment to realize that it wasn't X who was talking. Alia turned toward the door to see Dr. Cain smiling at her, clutching his cane tightly.

"Peace is never a very long silence…it is always followed by the bellows of war, the longer the peace, the harder the war…" said the doctor as he moved across the room to the end of X's bed.

"Hello doctor…" Alia said with a slight smile, before turning back to her love.

Dr. Cain chuckled. "Ah, to be young and in love…He'll be fine Alia, X is a strong young man you know that. He's almost as strong as Axl and Zero are hardheaded."

Alia smiled at the doctor again. "Do you know where they went?"

"Who, Zero and Axl? They went to try and find Midnight's remains. I highly doubt that Midnight could have survived the jump from four stories, let alone the explosion."

When he said "could have survived…the explosion" Alia gasped and turned back to X with a look of concern. Dr. Cain quickly moved toward her, placing a hand on her shoulder for support.

"Alia, I didn't mean to say that X wouldn't make it…X is by far one of the strongest reploids I have ever met, far stronger than that of Midnight…"

Alia giggled. "I know you didn't mean it like that, and I'm sorry I reacted that way…I just…."

"You love him so much that you don't want any harm to come to him, I understand. X feels the same way about you. He has told me before, shortly after you two began to be together, and even before then, that he doesn't want to be with you because he's afraid you could get hurt."

Alia smiled at X's sleeping body. "That sounds just like him…"

Dr. Cain looked toward X, fixing the blue reploid in his gaze. "He loves you with all his heart Alia…and love is the strongest of all emotions, maybe of all things in creation. To quote a movie I saw a few weeks ago, "love is a many splendid thing, all you need is love."

They were right.

Zero and Axl where riding their HUVER bikes, just outside of the city, on Midnight's trail. When the explosion had blasted the Maverick Hunter HQ into chaos Midnight had fled into the hanger and stole a HUVER bike. However the maverick had no idea that all HUVER bikes had a built in locator, so the hunters knew exactly where he was at all times.

Outside of the city the road split into many different directions, north to the forest, east to the mountains, west to the desert, and south to the ocean. When the hunters reached this destination they checked the screens on their bikes, Midnight's signal was no longer moving but rested between the forest and the desert, off the main roads.

Zero quickly curved his bike off the road and shifted gears, but he motioned for Axl to continue on the road for a distance.

"Axl," Zero said speaking into the communicator, "I want you to head toward Midnight via the forest, I'll take the desert and we'll meet up at his location."

Axl sighed. "Aww, why do I have to go into the forest?"

"What, you have a problem with trees?"

"Trees no, but spiders and snakes yes."

The two hunters rode in silence from there on, and after about an hour they reached Midnight's location. Zero was the first to arrive, Axl only seconds later. Before them, in the center of the divider between the forest and desert lay a mangled pile of scrap.

Most of the HUVER bike had been destroyed, and burnt to a crisp. The only portion that remained was the computers core, which held the transmitter that had been sending the signal of his location. Off in the distance lay a portion of the handlebars of the bike, something had completely totaled the bike. It's rider, Midnight, was as much of a mess as the rest of the bike. An arm and leg, opposite dual sides, lay just away from the rest of the crash.

"Damn…what did this?" Axl asked, slowly dismounting his bike and moving toward the burned object before him.

"I don't know, but whatever it was made sure he was dead…"

Axl chuckled. "Well I suppose there's a bright side to all this…"

Zero looked up at him confused. "What's that?"

"That's one more bike that The Hunters don't have to pay insurance on."


	20. Mind Link

_No…Not again…_ X screamed to himself.

It was happening again, the dreams had returned. But this dream, it was vividly different from all others. X was standing inside an old crumbling metal and stone building. All around him was the sounds of battle, screaming of jets as they soared overhead and the hissing of fire as it lapped at the stones that made up the buildings foundation.

The room he was in was quite large, a foyer of some sort, or maybe a dining hall. Large wooden tables where overturned, many broken. Large support beams from the ceiling had fallen onto the floor of the room, which was a black and white tiled floor. One beam had smashed into a table and was lying across the room from one wall to the other, flames arching off from it.

X looked around him, taking in all he saw. Hunters lie on the ground, some shot and some cut up, to his right three hunters had been crushed when an entire section of wall had fallen on them. Ahead of him he could see hunters lying on the ground, still conscious and screaming and begging for help.

"A savior…that is what they need…" spoke a voice, a voice that echoed all around the room.

X spun around in each direction looking for the creator of the words, but no one stood nearby. When he heard a powerful laugh from the north end of the room X ran toward it, jumping over a support beam and dashing past a group of fallen hunters. At the end of the room was a large double door, throwing it open X ran into the next room…the room from his nightmares…

The large throne room, red carpet along the floor leading to a raised section where a man sat, this was the room that X had learned to hate. Quickly X raised his buster to the man.

"Don't move!" he yelled, causing the man to raise his eyes toward him.

"…So nice to see you again Megaman…"

"What do you want from me? Why are you doing this!"

Slowly the man stood from his chair, and X noticed that a Saber was at his waist tied onto a metal belt. "Reploids where created by humans…humans created us to do jobs that they are too lazy to accomplish themselves…we are nothing put slaves to the humans, and you know it X. What we need is a savior, for all reploids!"

X stood his ground as the man moved closer, and in the light X could see that it was V.

"Humans and reploids are to live in peace, but we can't do that as long as there are people like you who break the law!" X yelled, following the man with his buster.

V burst into laughter. "LAW! And who created law! Those filthy HUMANS!"

V walked directly up to X and smiled at him, his teeth glowing in the dimly lit room. He placed a hand on X's buster arm and slowly pushed the weapon away from him. As he did X did nothing to stop him, somehow transfixed by the reploid before him.

"X…You know what you must do…Dr. Cain has told you many times, you are the strongest reploid he has seen in all his years…with your calm hand and righteous gaze you could lead reploids into an era of peace…you could be the savior of the reploid race X…and you know it…"

X let the words sink into him, he felt frozen. V was right, Dr. Cain had said that he had great ideas and a virtuous mind, and that if he had enough power he could lead the world into an era of peace never before seen…a perfect world…

V grinned, gazing directly into X's eyes. "X, you know what to do…all you lack is the power…and I can give you that…"

X broke the man's gaze, pulling away from him. He raised his buster to the man yet again and screamed at him. "NO! I won't ever join you!"

V laughed. "Oh X, you know you must…You lack the power and true strength to do what you must…"

"NO!"

"YES!"

"I WILL NEVER JOIN YOU! YOU'RE CRIMINALS!"

V burst into laughter yet again, his voice becoming serious as he glared at X. "But, what about your friends?"

X froze yet again, V was right. If X tried to accomplish his goal of making peace and a perfect world many would fight against him, which would mean that his friends would all be in danger…everyone he knew would be a target.

"X, if you join us, The Brotherhood, we can help you! We have the manpower, the technology; we could provide safety for the entire world! We can protect your friends far better than the Maverick Hunters, I mean look what happened to Axl...and Dr. Cain."

X jumped. "But YOU attacked them!"

"Yes, we were testing the Maverick Hunter defenses, and you saw for yourself how faulty they are! Axl was almost killed, Dr. Cain put in danger, and even Zero's life was on the line! Alia only stayed safe because YOU were protecting her!"

The words slammed into X, they where words of truth. Sinking to his knees X felt a wave of dread fall over him. A war would be fought, a war for peace…there would be no end in sight unless one man stood tall with power unrivaled…and X was such a man…

V stepped toward X again, for the last time. He bent down to X's level and held out a hand. X, realizing took the hand and pulled himself back up. That was when V gripped his arms tightly and stared directly into his eyes. X watched as V's eyes flashed a strange purple color, while they flashed he spoke in a calm voice.

"Join us X…."

X tried to look away from V, but the man was strong and forced X to look at him. His eyes flashed purple again, lasting longer this time; his voice was layered with a strange sweetness as he spoke again.

"Join us X…"

X couldn't control himself, he felt his face pale and his eyes began to burn. As he tried to scream his voice was choked out of him, but the burning quickly ceased. And then X's own eyes flashed purple, and he felt all the energy drain from his body.

"X…You are the savior of all reploids, it is time for you to fight!" V whispered.

"I am the….savior…of all r-reploids….I….I will fight…." X choked, he heard himself say the words but couldn't believe it…

"Good, now X I have a job for you…"

"Whatever you say, Master…"


	21. Retire

Peace had returned to the Maverick Hunters, and was now into its third day. Already work was under way to repair the damage from Midnight's escape. No maverick, or mecanaloid, problems had been reported to the hunters, and everyone was enjoying a short vacation from work.

Zero, Axl, and Alia where all sitting in X's room of the Infirmary. X had recovered quite well from his injuries, as was about to be released. Alia, of course, had worried about him the entire time he had been in the Infirmary.

X was sitting on the edge of his bed, waiting for a nurse and doctor to come and do a final examination before he would be cleared to go. Alia was sitting in a chair near him, Zero propped against the door and Axl standing at the foot of the bed.

Axl had been telling Alia about a prank he had pulled on Zero, and had caused everyone in the room to laugh, bar Zero of course. In the prank Axl had emptied Zero's shampoo bottle and poured hair dye into the empty bottle. When Zero had washed his hair it had dyed pink, and stayed that way for about a week before the dye wore off.

"It's not funny! I was stuck that way for a week! And it took hours of washing to get it out!" Zero said, moving closer to the group and glaring daggers at Axl.

Axl was holding the corner of the bed to avoid falling into the floor, and Alia was laughing so much her chair tipped back at one point. X laughed, but between laughs could cough, and after a long fit of coughing Alia became concerned.

"X, are you sure you're ready to leave?"

X smiled. "I'm fine Alia, just a little cough that's all."

"You're lucky to even be up and moving at this hour…" said a new voice. The group turned to see Dr. Cain entering the room with a nurse and medical doctor by his side. The two medical technicians ran over to X and immediately started applying small instruments to him to check for any complications.

"Hello Dr. Cain." X said, the nurse pushing him back down onto the bed.

"Hello X, it is nice to see you're alright. After having the roof and walls fall on you I feared the worst."

Zero chuckled. "Yeah, but X is stubborn like that. Not even the building falling on him could kill him."

X smiled at his red friend. "Thank you very much, but remember you have almost been killed far more times than me."

Zero laughed. "Yeah, I almost was done for when those ruins fell on me last time, but Dr. Cain fixed me…then there was the time that I got a hole stabbed into my back by a metal pole…then there was the other time that the road iced and I crashed my bike…" each time he named off an accident he would hold up a finger to count them, and each time he did so it made Alia feel uneasy.

"…Um, maybe you should try and not go on any dangerous mission for a while X…" she said, concerned about her love.

X chuckled. "Oh, don't worry Alia. I'll be fine."

Axl smiled. "Yeah, you don't even know half the times X almost got killed." He said, in a stupidly proud voice.

Zero and X turned to him with a dull look as if to say "SHUT UP YOU IDIOT!" Alia looked shocked and turned back to X.

"So, how many times have you almost been killed Megaman X!" she yelled, clearly getting unnerved. Dr. Cain moved toward her and gripped her arm tightly and began to pull her toward the door.

"I think we should go Alia, wouldn't want to make X's blood pressure soar when they are doing tests….Zero, Axl, come along!" he said pushing Alia out the door.

X raised a hand and waved at his friends as they left the room.

_Great, now Alia is going to keep asking me if I've had any near death experiences, all the time…_

Dr. Cain and the group exited the Infirmary and walked into the doctor's office, all sitting at the large table as directed by Dr. Cain. Alia sat across from Zero; Axl next to her, Dr. Cain took a seat at the head of the table and sighed.

"I want to ask you a few questions, all of you…" Dr. Cain said, causing everyone to look at him strangely.

"What's up doc?" Axl asked.

"Well, when you where interrogating Midnight…did he tell you anything about The Brotherhood?"

Zero and Axl glanced at each other for a moment, before Zero spoke. "Not really…well he went on a rant about how humans created reploids as slaves and stuff, but other than that he never really talked about it…why do you ask?"

Dr. Cain leaned forward in his chair, his face growing dark.

"Because, I did some research and learned some things about them that aren't so good…"

"Like what?" Axl asked.

"They're a group of reploids who fight for reploid independence. They think of themselves as liberators, saying that humans have created reploids and hold them under an imperialistic government. In their eyes humans created reploids as weapons and slaves, and when the battles are done the humans will take the spoils."

Zero smirked. "Well they're kinda stupid for thinking that, huh?"

Dr. Cain sighed. "No…Not entirely."

Axl almost jumped out of his chair. "What, you're saying you think that too! But you're a human, you know why reploids where made, YOU HELPED MAKE THEM!"

"Axl calm down, I'm just saying I can see where they are getting the idea from…let's just say that humans have done some pretty bad things to each other in the past, sending countries to war for unknown causes, kidnapping other people and making them slaves, destroying whole lands just to take a few items that they like…it's happened before."

Alia, who hadn't been in the interrogation room at the time, was taking all the information in that she could. "So what are we supposed to do about them, The Brotherhood? Midnight worked for them, and look what he did! What if they have other members willing to attack us!"

Dr. Cain smiled. "Well that my dear Alia is where you come in."

"What do you mean?"

"I know for a fact that The Brotherhood would give anything to make the Maverick Hunters fall, and as long as I am Director of Operations that cannot happen, I have too much influence. But I have a plan to capture The Brotherhood and put a stop to them."

"And just what is that?" Zero asked.

"…Alia, I have very good news for you." Dr. Cain said with a smile, standing from his chair.

"What's that?" she asked, clearly confused.

The doctor smiled at her and walked around her chair, placing his hands on her shoulders. "I am going to retire…"


	22. March to Victory

V sat in his large throne yet again, but this time not in a dream. It was still daylight, late afternoon though and the sun would soon be setting. A large holoscreen was projected in front of V, and he watched small windows on the screen showing him the happenings all around Abel City, and other places all around the world.

On one screen was footage playing from a large park somewhere overseas. The park was made into a perfect square of greenery, tall trees and flowers decorating the landscape. In the center of the park was a large statue, but the statue seemed worthless in comparison of the enormous, and beautifully crafted, clock tower to the north of the park. That was the clock tower that the town had been known for, and in the distance to the eastern end of the city one could see a large castle that had been restored many times to keep up with the ever changing world around it.

V raised his hand and touched the screen, highlighting it, and he then tossed it off the screen and a new window took its place, as V sat in his throne taking in the news of the world the doors to his room where thrown open and a reploid, wearing black armor lined in crimson red, ran inside.

V deactivated his holoscreen and glared at his guest.

"How dare you barge in here unannounced!"

The man bowed. "Please forgive me sir, but there is something you really should see."

"What is it?"

"On your screen, open Abel City Transmission 622…"

V frowned at the man and did as he instructed. On the screen was a live transmission from Abel City itself. All around the city large holoscreens had appeared, and on them was Dr. Cain. V growled as he saw the man, an enemy of the greatest kind.

Dr. Cain cleared his throat and began to speak, the entire city freezing to hear what he had to say. "Attention citizens of Abel City. I have important news to share with you all. As you know the Maverick Hunters have worked long and hard to keep you all safe for many years, and during all these years I have been the Director of Operations for the hunters. But from this moment on, I am no longer."

Everyone in the city began to mumble amongst themselves, and V smiled sitting closer to the edge of his seat.

"I am, regrettably, retiring." Dr. Cain said, sending waves of both applause and screams of shock through the crowds.

"But worry not, I have already chosen one who will take my place, and I would like for her to step forward now…" On command Alia stepped into the frame, followed by applause from all the hunters inside the base who were standing in the conference room as Dr. Cain and Alia's crowd for the new signing of a Director of Operations.

"I shall be retiring, and Alia, a long time friend, operator, and fellow scientist, shall be taking my place as Director of the Maverick Hunters."

The crowd, both inside the base and all around the city, went crazy with applause and shouts of congratulations. Zero, Axl, X, and Signas where all sitting in the front row of the conference room right against the stage, and where blown away by the amount of screaming coming from the people.

Zero turned to X with a snicker. "Does this mean I have to call YOU Mr. Director?"

X smiled at Zero. "Director X kinda has a nice ring to it."

The two hunters burst into laughter, but Signas quickly turned to them and "shushed" them for being too loud. They both tried to fight back the laughs, and eventually they calmed back down.

Back on stage Dr. Cain had turned to Alia, and proudly spoke his last words as Director.

"And so, citizens of Able City, members of the Maverick Hunters…I give you your new Director."

Cheers erupted once again, and Dr. Cain strained to yell over them. "Madame Director, would you like to say a few words."

This was where V discarded his holoscreen, a large grin on his face. The man before him smiled back at him.

"So, what is our next move sir?" he asked with a large smile.

"…I am going to have our newest member begin his operation, I want you to ready the troops. No doubt The Hunters will be weakened now that they have a WOMAN Director."

The man in black smiled and bowed to his master once more before leaving the room. V remained in his seat and grinned before bursting into a volley of laughter.

"…Oh X…it's time for you to begin your march to victory…soon this world will be rid of those pathetic humans once and for all…HAHAHAHAHA!"


	23. The Voice of Victory

The ceremony had been sudden, quick, and simple. Dr. Cain had given his position to Alia, who made a brief speech as a thank you. When the ceremony had ended everything returned to normal around the city and the base.

X, Zero, Axl, Dr. Cain, and Alia where all standing in the conference room. Dr. Cain seemed glad that his plan was working so far, Alia becoming Director was all a part of his plan.

"So what do we do next Dr. Cain?" Zero asked with a smile.

"Now that Alia is Director I'm sure that The Brotherhood will try and attack, thinking that we are vulnerable. That is where you all come in. Zero, X, Axl I want you three to guard Alia everywhere she goes, but stay out of sight. If The Brotherhood sees you near her they won't attack, and we need them to attack us. Everyone here at the base has been informed of the plan, and what to do when The Brotherhood gets here."

Axl frowned. "But what if they don't show up?"

"I think they will. I doubt they could pass up this opportunity."

Suddenly X felt dizzy, the room began to spin and he felt as if he was falling. However he was still standing in his original place, but his mind felt clouded as the nausea from his dizziness worsened. After a few moments the feelings went away, but X still felt strange.

_X…It's time…._ Whispered a voice.

X glanced around the room, Axl still talking to the doctor. No one was around X, no one close enough to had whispered to him. X shook off the feeling and tried to listen to what Axl was saying, but again the voice came to him.

_It's time…you must do this….Savior…._

The dizziness hit him again and X turned away from his friends. Alia, who had noticed X backing away, spoke.

"Is there something wrong X?" she said, her voice clearly showing concern.

"N-No…I just feel really tired…"

Dr. Cain chuckled. "I thought you wouldn't be ready to move around. You only rested for a short while before being released, I think I need to have a word with that doctor…"

"No, I'm fine. I just feel like taking a nap, that's all." X said moving toward the door.

Alia smiled. "Alright, well sleep well. If you need anything…just ask, ok?"

X chuckled as he opened the door, turning back to her with a smile. "As you wish, Madame Director."

But when the door closed behind him X did not go to his room. There was a voice, a strange hypnotic voice, calling to him. X followed the voice down the hall, through the main hall of the base and into the elevator. In the elevator X could hear the voice even clearer, calling to him from outside the base.

At a full run X exited the base and stood in the courtyard. To his right was the main road to the city, to his left the highway. To his south was the Hall of Records, and that was where he had to go. Running into the garage X mounted his bike and blasted out onto the road, in a matter of minutes he was upon the exit to the Hall of Records, and quickly he whipped his bike in.

Running inside the Hall of Records X heard the voice again.

_The disk X…you know which one, bring me that disk…and this world will forever be at peace…_

X walked up to the receptionists desk and smiled at the woman behind the desk. The woman had short raven black hair that fell to her shoulders, blending seamlessly with her black dress suit. She was, in fact, one of the few humans who worked for the maverick hunters. She smiled back at X as she spoke.

"How may I help you?"

"I'm looking for Disk 650, Dr. Cain asked me to pick it up for him." X lied, his face showing no trace of it.

The receptionist typed into a search box on her computer and smiled. "Ah, very good. Right this way please."

Slowly the receptionist walked around the desk and led X down the aisle of large shelves. On each shelf were about a thousand disks, maybe more. The disks had recordings, documents, all the information about everything ever recorded. It would take thousands of years to see all of this information; of course it took millions to record all of it in the first place.

After walking down the main aisle they reached a large area of tables and chairs with large holoscreens on them. The receptionist turned back to X and smiled, gesturing to an aisle to her right.

"Just follow the markers and you'll find your disk. I'll have it checked out for you, so you may leave when you find it."

X smiled at the woman, moving into the aisle. "Thank you very much."

The woman started to walk away but turned back to X. "Tell Dr. Cain that Mary says hello…" she said with a giggle.

X smiled. "I will thank you!"

_Bring me the disk X…and this world will finally find peace…_

Dr. Cain walked slowly down the main hall of the Maverick Hunter HQ. This hall stretched from the east wing, intersected the lobby, and stopped in the west wing. A few hunters, operators, scientists, and mechanics walked the halls with the doctor, reading documents and chatting about the days activities.

Now that Alia was Director, Dr. Cain really didn't have much to do but wait for his plan to begin, as such the doctor was going to go to the Hall of Records and relax, reading a few good stories. Dr. Cain had come to enjoy reading a small section of literature written by a famous, and quite old, poet William Shakespeare. While reading a story by Shakespeare, Dr. Cain met the newest receptionist at the Hall of Records, a young woman named Mary. She was nervous at first, but egger to do a good job, that was what the doctor remembered about her so much.

As Dr. Cain reached the elevator to descend to the ground floor the doors opened and a young woman stepped out, bumping into Dr. Cain. Quickly she stepped back and gasped.

"Oh, Dr. Cain, I am so sorry. I didn't see you."

Dr. Cain smiled. "It is quite alright. Mary, right?"

Mary smiled at him. "You remembered my name."

Dr. Cain chuckled. "Well you are quite a memorable young woman."

Mary giggled stepping by the doctor and allowing him entrance to the elevator. Dr. Cain stepped inside and smiled at Mary again before waiting for the doors on the elevator to shut. Just before they were about to close Mary jumped and spoke.

"Oh, by the way. I don't know what you wanted that disk for, but I hope you can figure it out better than I could."

Dr. Cain reached up and stopped the elevator doors by placing his hand between them. He stepped toward Mary, clearly confused.

"Excuse me?" he said, thinking he had heard her wrong.

Mary looked confused. "The disk, remember? You did ask for disk 650, correct?"

Dr. Cain stepped out of the elevator. "I never asked for ANY disk. What are you talking about?"

"But X arrived at the Hall of Records just a few minutes ago and told me that he was picking up disk 650, on your request."

"I never asked for a disk, and I sent X to…."

Then it hit him. X had been acting strangely, seemingly ill. When he had left to go to his quarters no one had seen him, so he could have went anywhere…but what did he want with the disk?

"…Where did X go when he left you at the Hall?" Dr. Cain asked, snapping back into reality.

Mary seemed saddened by the question. "I'm sorry; I didn't really pay any attention…why? Did I do something wrong?"

Dr. Cain stepped past her and whispered into her ear as he went by. "…No, not you…..me…."


	24. Castle Wily

Dr. Cain had ran through the crowds in the halls and reached his office, or more accurately his OLD office. Alia sat in the chair at the head of the table, Zero and Axl standing at her side. When the doctor entered the room the group looked up at him and smiled.

"Did you forget something doc?" Axl asked as the doctor hurriedly moved toward them at the end of the table.

"No…but we have a problem." He said in a hushed tone, as not to disturb the other scientists and hunters who were working in the office.

"What kind of problem?" Alia asked, standing from her chair.

Dr. Cain sighed. "I was going to the Hall of Records just a moment ago and ran into Mary."

Axl grinned. "The hot receptionist?"

Zero and Alia turned to Axl with a glare, who just grinned wider and chuckle.

Dr. Cain sighed, "Yes, the hot receptionist." He said, trying to move the conversation along.

"And what did she say that was such a problem?" Zero asked, still glaring at Axl.

"She said that X had arrived at the Hall of Records and had checked out a disk from the archives, saying that I had sent him there."

"But why would he do that? He was sick just a moment ago…"

"I know, that's what I find odd. But the most important thing is this…"

"And what is that?" Alia said, clearly getting concerned.

Dr. Cain paused before he spoke. "The disk that X took was the very same disk that The Brotherhood had tried so hard to get…and after he took it, he sped away on his bike out of the city…"

Alia shivered as the information was processed into her mind. _So is X working for The Brotherhood!_

"So what, you think X is working for the bad guys? NO WAY!" Axl yelled, slamming his hand on the table.

Dr. Cain whipped around toward the young hunter and sighed. "I don't know! And that's what worries me! I searched some of the information we had on The Brotherhood and found some…startling news…but even after reading it I wouldn't have called X a spy."

"What did it say?" Alia asked, leaning toward the doctor.

Dr. Cain paused once more and slowly took a seat at the table, turning his gaze to Zero. "…It said that you where once a member…"

Castle Wily was a tall structure constructed many years ago. Very few people knew the history behind the castle, but stories say that it was a seat of power created for the mad Dr. Albert Wily. Dr Wily, the rival to Dr. Thomas Light, built the castle as his headquarters in the final battle between "The Blue Bomber," as was called the hero of the time, and the doctor. During the final battle one, or maybe both, or their lives were lost, none know. All that anyone knows is that after the fight the castle erupted into a series of explosions, which caused much of it to cave in on itself.

The castle still stands portions of it anyway. As X, speeding toward it on his HUVER bike, looked at this castle he thought of all the pain it had brought him. This castle was where the last fight against Sigma had taken place, the arena for the fight against the madman Nocturne, a reploid infected by the Sigma virus. And now X was speeding toward the castle, not to fight its owner, not to save the one he loved, but to arrive at a meeting that was awaiting his arrival.

_Why am I doing this?_ X thought for a brief moment, before a voice overtook his mind once again.

_Bring me the disk and all shall be revealed…bring me the disk and all you care about will forever be safe…_

Slowing his bike to a halt, X dismounted when he reached the gate to the castle. He stood for a moment, the sun gone from sight behind the mountains behind him, waiting for the gates to open. Answering his arrival the large bars locking the castle slid upward and the two large double doors behind it opened with a bang.

Stepping inside the castle X found himself in a large foyer. A carpet, once a crimson red but now faded to a dull pink, ran along the floor from the door to the center of the room where it split into two paths, left and right. These two paths only went on for a few steps before they connected to two large staircases that arrived on the next section of the foyer, a large balcony-like area that held only one door.

X moved forward, and as he did the door behind him slammed shut, creating an echo throughout the seemingly empty castle. The walls where made of old stone, patched with metal plates. On each wall were three large gothic stained glass windows, casting a dim light across the dusty foyer. Against the wall sat suits of armor, and a few statues of unknown robots and the castle's creator.

X walked up the right-hand staircase and then through the large door, which had been opened before his arrival. The blue reploid now found himself in a dusty dining hall, a long table draped in a white tablecloth. The castle was old, uninhabited, which was an odd fact to know when you gazed upon the table and saw the plates and candelabras set along it, awaiting a grand feast that is yet to come, or already past.

At the head of the room was a grand fireplace, and a door on each side of the fireplace. X reached out and turned the handle on the right door when he heard a sound behind him. Spinning around quickly, stirring up a cloud of dust, X glanced around the room. At the end of the room, standing at a large window was a dark reploid in golden armor. The armor, lit only by the dim light from the window, was linked together to form scales all about his body.

"Welcome back to Castle Wily, Megaman X."

X raised his buster toward the reploid. "Who are you?"

The reploid smiled. "Now X, would you really shoot me? Remember, you came here to find us."

X hesitated, but lowered the buster once more. "…I have no business with you, only with V."

Slowly the reploid moved toward X, a dark grin on his face. "Then come with me, I shall take you to Master V's quarters."

"Thank you and your name would be?"

"Volt, Volt Viper." The reploid said, revealing two, quite large and sharp fangs.

X smiled at him, and removed the disk from his person and showed it to Volt. "I think your master will be happy to see this."

Volt chuckled, taking the disk from X with a smile. "He will be most…pleased…"


	25. GPS

Alia sat into her chair slowly, letting the words sink in. X had betrayed the hunters; he had stolen a data disk and taken it to the enemy. Alia, being the Director, had to do something. But who could condone the one they love to death!

_Why? Why would X do this? _Alia screamed in her mind. _Yeah he's been acting kinda strange, but he said he's been having bad dreams. All we have to do is wait for The Brotherhood to attack, then we will be in peace again, how could he have done this!_ But there was one who was more stunned than Alia, and that was Zero.

Zero was holding onto the back of Alia's chair for support. Dr. Cain was telling him about The Brotherhood, about him being a member. The entire time Dr. Cain talked Zero felt sick, getting worse as the doctor would say something that Zero thought he could remember.

Axl, who was standing at Alia's opposite side, screamed at the doctor, breaking everyone thoughts.

"SHUT UP!" he yelled, causing the doctor to turn to him in a mix of confusion and rage.

"Excuse me?" the doctor asked, clearly angered.

"Just shut up! Zero would never have worked for those guys! NEVER!"

Dr. Cain sighed. "Axl, the data I have said-"

"Well you data is wrong!" Axl yelled, cutting the doctor off.

Alia and Zero looked stunned at Axl's outburst, glancing between the doctor and the hunter. Axl had never yelled at Dr. Cain like this before, or to anyone of his superiors. But the doctor didn't look mad anymore, he was smiling at Axl with an almost proud grin.

Dr. Cain smiled. "Axl…all we have for evidence is what I heard from Mary, and the fact that X is nowhere to be found. I don't want to believe, and I won't, that X is a maverick. But if he is going to work with The Brotherhood then we have no choice."

Axl cursed, slamming his hands into the table again. "Dammit, find him! If you don't know where he is then find out! If he took his bike than you can pick up his signal! Find out where the hell he is, then you can start trash talking him!"

Axl's second outburst caused everyone in the room to glance at him, again stunned. But as the words sunk in Dr. Cain brightened. He quickly dashed toward his computer and began to click his keyboard in rapid fury. Zero and Alia walked toward him, motioning for Axl to follow.

"So, what are you doing?" Zero asked the doctor, who never once took his eyes off the screen.

"I have an idea." He said with a grin.

"Ah, great, another idea that makes us wait for months on end!" Axl yelled.

Dr. Cain quickly spun around toward him and pointed his cane at him. The young hunter stepped back slightly, surprised.

"Now listen here, I may not be the Director anymore but don't you EVER speak to me like you have today, ever again! I understand that I crossed a line with my assumptions, but I don't even believe what I said. X is a close friend, and I just know that he would NEVER turn maverick by choice! So calm down and let me do my job!"

Axl swallowed hard and sat slowly in a chair at the table, glad that the doctor hadn't used one of the abilities in his cane. From missiles to flamethrowers, the doctor had it all. And Axl did not feel like becoming target practice for the old, but quite fast and strong, doctor.

Dr. Cain returned to his work and, upon opening a window on his computer, almost jumped for joy.

"Yes! I found it!"

"Found what?" Alia asked, filled with hope. _I knew it X! I just knew you couldn't be bad!_

Dr. Cain smiled. "This is the history log on my computer. It shows that a few days ago, like I remembered, I had used disk 650, the very same disk that The Brotherhood tried to steal. After they tried to steal it, just before they attack me in my office, I scanned the disk and looked over its contents. I thought that The Brotherhood might try and take the disk again, so I downloaded all the data off the disk and put it on my computer!"

Alia smiled. "Great, but how does that help us?"

Dr. Cain chuckled. "Because, I put a virus on that disk. When they download that disk into their server their entire network will crash, and they'll be without eyes, ears, and weapons! We can use this as a chance to strike!"

Zero grinned. "Good work Dr. Cain! Now all we have to do is locate their base!"

Alia quickly spun toward Zero and Axl with a grin. "I can do that! All I need is a few minutes, and I can tell you exactly where X's bike is!"

_I knew you couldn't be bad X! I don't know why you went to The Brotherhood, kidnapped or by choice, but don't worry, help is on the way!_


	26. Savior of the Reploid Race

Zero and Axl sped across the streets of Abel City. The plan had been made, and everyone was ready. It was time to help X, weather or not he wanted it.

Alia had quickly tracked down X, his bike being parked outside of the old castle Wily not far from the city. Being the Director, Alia quickly dispatched Zero and Axl to his location, Signas learning about the orders only a few moments later. Alia, now called Madame Director by all the hunters, was standing in the Command Bridge of the Maverick Hunter HQ, Dr. Cain and Signas by her side.

Signas turned to Alia and smiled. "You really should inform me of decisions like this before you act on them Director."

Alia giggled. "Don't call me Director, I'm still Alia."

Signas smiled and looked back at the hunters, operators all getting ready to take on an onslaught of information. Hunters ran all about getting ready to fight, for the plan had been made and orders set. Zero and Axl where to arrive at the castle, find X, and issue to order to attack, the final battle was about to begin.

Dr. Cain turned to Alia with a smile. "Kinda makes you miss being in the field, huh?"

Alia giggled. "Yeah, kinda…"

"Then go."

Alia spun toward Dr. Cain with a stunned look. "Really?"

"Yes, go. You may be Director, but I'm sure everyone will feel better with someone to lead them at the helm. Go!"

Alia smiled and quickly ran across the floor, causing everyone to stop and turn toward her. With a warm smile Alia sat at her desk and applied her headset. Everyone in the room cheered and clapped at their Director joining them for the battle to come, and quickly returned to their work.

_When this is all over…I think I will be able to enjoy retirement…_ Dr. Cain thought with a chuckle.

X had been led through a long hallway, up a flight of stairs, across a large sitting room, through a library and finally through two more halls into a large throne room. The castle walls all about where crumbling, but the second floor was more intact that the first. The floors where a black and white checkered tile, the same dull carpet down the center.

As X and Volt entered the throne room they were greeted by a man sitting on a throne, two reploids clad in black armor at his side. X scowled at the man, it was V.

The throne room consisted of a simple square room, windows on the left and right walls, large pillars between them. The same carpet ran up the center of the room, flowed up a small set of stairs to the raised area where the throne sat, and led to a door behind the throne. Above the door was a large red tapestry, containing the letter W.

V, who was sipping from a wine glass aimlessly, beamed as he saw his guest enter the room. Quickly he rose from his chair, his two guards becoming alert. Stepping toward X, V allowed the dim light from the moon to illuminate his features.

His almost perfect black hair was neatly arranged on his head, a simple cut with very little length, but large streaks of pure white did blemish the midnight black hair. He had a slightly tanned complexion and wore armor of the darkest black, the design almost exactly like X's armor, the lighter area being a deep grey. His long white lab coat, with a large spiked neck, stretched to just above his boots. X could see the man more clearly than in any of his dreams, and it disturbed him to note that the man could pass as a twin to X, only the man's eyes being a problem as they didn't seem to have an exact color, but a mixture of many colors.

"Ah, Megaman X, I am honored to have you in my castle at last. I must say, seeing you outside of the dream world is quite a surprise to me." V said, stepping down the stairs and smiling at X.

Volt continued to move toward V, and stood at his side leaving X on his own in the center of the room. Smiling at his master, Volt handed the data disk to V, who took it in glee.

"Very good job X. Your work will allow this world to be brought into an era of peace, for all reploids." V said turning away from X.

X's eyes flashed a dull purple and he grinned at V. "I am yours to command V. If what you say is true than this is the only way."

V turned back to X with a dull smile. "Yes X. The Brotherhood can provide all the protection you and your friends need. We are your friends X, your family. We will fight to the death to protect you, Savior of all reploids."

X chuckled, following close behind his master as they left the throne room via the door at the head of the room. "I am the savior of all reploids, created by Dr. Light for such a purpose…"

"Yes X," V whispered with a smile, "you are the savior, and it is time for you to complete that goal."


	27. Castle Intrusion

Castle Wily was as big on the inside as it looked on the outside. The two scientists led Zero and Axl down a jumble of hall ways, and quite a few sections of stairs, all in the effort of getting them to the command center. As they reached the final door, a large door made of metal, the scientists turned to the hunters with a smile.

"Well, here you are." Said one of them.

"If you go in there you'll be on the observatory platform, just a few feet above the command center."

Zero turned to the scientists and pointed his Saber threateningly at them. "We said we wanted IN the command center."

One of the scientists chuckled. "Yes, but if you just walked in Master would have you killed. We thought you being here to spy on them would be best."

Zero turned to Axl with a slight smile. "Yeah…I didn't think about that…"

With that the two hunters walked into the room and crouched down against the north wall. The room was nothing more than a control panel set against a glass wall, looking straight down into the command center. Axl took a peak over the control panel to look at the room.

In the center of the room was a large holoscreen, much like the one that was in the Maverick Hunter base. On the left and right sides of the room where computers and all sorts of desks, where mavericks where sitting hard at work. The south end of the room held a metal door, the north end held a glass elevator which led to a room that couldn't be seen from the command center. Only two guards stood in the room, but it was unknown if any of the mavericks at the computers had weapons. More importantly, and what was given the most focus by Axl, was the fact that three reploids where standing in front of the holoscreen. A reploid in yellow armor, the pieces linked together like scales that fit to his slim body, another reploid in black armor wearing a white lab coat, and finally...

"X…" Axl whispered as he saw his blue friend standing next to the man in black, a broad smile on his face as the two of them talked.

"So, how many of them are there?" Zero asked, still ducked down.

"Well two guards, but the rooms crawling with scientists and what looks like operators."

Zero sighed. "And X?"

"Yeah, he's there…"

Zero bolted upright and glanced over the control panel, now both hunters' attentions drawn to their blue friend. As they watched the events in the command center, Zero trying to read what they were saying through the sound proof glass, neither of them noticed two reploids walk up behind them.

The two scientists standing behind Zero and Axl turned to each other, smiled, and quickly brought their hands down in a chop, hitting each hunters necks and knocking them out.

"Well, that was easy." Said one of them.

"Yes, it was." said the other, leaning over the control panel and pressing the intercom button.

"Excuse me, Master…not to intrude on your meeting." The scientists said, his voice filling the command center and the observation booth.

V, Volt, and X all turned toward the booth with a frown.

"What is it?"

"We have captured a set of intruder's sir."

V merely turned away. "That is none of my concern."

"But sir! They are Maverick Hunters!"

This peaked V's interest. Quickly he turned back to the scientists in the observation booth and smiled. "Well then, bring our new friends down here for a little chat! Oh, and sweep them for bugs first!"

"Sir yes sir!"

Alia was frantic; she jumped from her chair and ran to Signas and Dr. Cain, who stood watching the events on the floor.

"We have a problem." She said, her voice shaking.

"What is it?" Signas asked, always ready to help.

"…Zero and Axl have been captured…and I've lost all contact with them…"

Dr. Cain cursed, slowly sitting into a chair nearby. "…What options do we have?"

Alia squirmed, feeling uneasy. "Well…we can either sit here and wait…or send an attack to distract the enemy, and maybe help release Axl, X, and Zero."

Signas glanced at the doctor, who chuckled. "I'm not the Director anymore Signas, it's her choice."

Quickly Signas turned toward Alia, extending a small remote containing one button. The button was bright red in color and read "ALERT." Alia looked from the small remote to her two friends, and then to all the hunters running about the base.

"It's your choice Director…do we wait…or do we fight?"

Alia sighed, turning back to Signas and handing him the remote. "…I'll go…alone."

Dr. Cain jumped from his chair, causing it to tip to its side in the process. "Are you mad! Y-You are the Director! You can't just go about fighting whenever you want!"

"You did it!" Alia yelled, a tear slowly falling down her cheek.

"…Alia…that's different…I know how to fight, I have weapons I can use…but…Alia, you're an operator and scientists, not a field agent. You could be killed!"

Alia turned away from the doctor and clutched onto the railings, her body shaking as she started to cry. To comfort her, the doctor stepped to her side and smiled at her, Alia glancing up at him to see his face. The doctor was like a father to everyone, hunter and operator. He was always there for you…and he always would be.

"Alia…last time you went on a mission to save X you're almost died in a plane crash, and then DID die inside the castle! I cannot allow you to go alone, it is too dangerous." Signas said, stepping to Alia's other side. His face was serious, but showed just how much he cared.

At first glance one would think that Signas would be a careless, battle hardened fighter. But in reality that was all too wrong. Signas cared about all his hunters, scientists, operators, and all others. It was his compassion that had helped him to lead the hunters so well, because he truly cared about what happened to them. He was young, but all as wise as Dr. Cain.

"…I know…but I have to help X…I can't just leave him, or Zero and Axl, out there with no contact home…"

Dr. Cain smiled. "I say she go…"

Alia and Signas quickly turned to the old man, one happy and one confused.

"B-But Dr. Cain, please, be realistic! If she goes out there unarmed-"

"She will not go alone…" Dr. Cain said with a chuckled.

The two reploids backed away from their human friend, each one with a broad smile on their face.

"You're going with her I assume?"

"Correct. I'll take Alia there, and we'll have X, Zero, and Axl out of that castle in no time."

With that the doctor walked out of the door and made his way to the elevator, Alia and Signas watching him leave with a smile. But as Alia started to leave a hand tightly gripped her arm and pulled her back. Alia turned to see Signas, looking defeated, smirk at her.

"Alia…I want you to be careful…but more importantly, I want you to make sure that Dr. Cain is careful. I can't help but feel like he knows more than he is saying…I want you to watch him close, but do everything he says. If he tells you to run, you run…understand?"

Alia smiled. "I understand…"

Signas cleared his throat and stood up straight, his face becoming serious as always. "Good, then go out there and bring our men home."

Alia saluted as she walked out of the door. "Yes sir!"


	28. Rescue Team

Castle Wily was as big on the inside as it looked on the outside. The two scientists led Zero and Axl down a jumble of hall ways, and quite a few sections of stairs, all in the effort of getting them to the command center. As they reached the final door, a large door made of metal, the scientists turned to the hunters with a smile.

"Well, here you are." Said one of them.

"If you go in there you'll be on the observatory platform, just a few feet above the command center."

Zero turned to the scientists and pointed his Saber threateningly at them. "We said we wanted IN the command center."

One of the scientists chuckled. "Yes, but if you just walked in Master would have you killed. We thought you being here to spy on them would be best."

Zero turned to Axl with a slight smile. "Yeah…I didn't think about that…"

With that the two hunters walked into the room and crouched down against the north wall. The room was nothing more than a control panel set against a glass wall, looking straight down into the command center. Axl took a peak over the control panel to look at the room.

In the center of the room was a large holoscreen, much like the one that was in the Maverick Hunter base. On the left and right sides of the room where computers and all sorts of desks, where mavericks where sitting hard at work. The south end of the room held a metal door, the north end held a glass elevator which led to a room that couldn't be seen from the command center. Only two guards stood in the room, but it was unknown if any of the mavericks at the computers had weapons. More importantly, and what was given the most focus by Axl, was the fact that three reploids where standing in front of the holoscreen. A reploid in yellow armor, the pieces linked together like scales that fit to his slim body, another reploid in black armor wearing a white lab coat, and finally...

"X…" Axl whispered as he saw his blue friend standing next to the man in black, a broad smile on his face as the two of them talked.

"So, how many of them are there?" Zero asked, still ducked down.

"Well two guards, but the rooms crawling with scientists and what looks like operators."

Zero sighed. "And X?"

"Yeah, he's there…"

Zero bolted upright and glanced over the control panel, now both hunters' attentions drawn to their blue friend. As they watched the events in the command center, Zero trying to read what they were saying through the sound proof glass, neither of them noticed two reploids walk up behind them.

The two scientists standing behind Zero and Axl turned to each other, smiled, and quickly brought their hands down in a chop, hitting each hunters necks and knocking them out.

"Well, that was easy." Said one of them.

"Yes, it was." said the other, leaning over the control panel and pressing the intercom button.

"Excuse me, Master…not to intrude on your meeting." The scientists said, his voice filling the command center and the observation booth.

V, Volt, and X all turned toward the booth with a frown.

"What is it?"

"We have captured a set of intruder's sir."

V merely turned away. "That is none of my concern."

"But sir! They are Maverick Hunters!"

This peaked V's interest. Quickly he turned back to the scientists in the observation booth and smiled. "Well then, bring our new friends down here for a little chat! Oh, and sweep them for bugs first!"

"Sir yes sir!"

Alia was frantic; she jumped from her chair and ran to Signas and Dr. Cain, who stood watching the events on the floor.

"We have a problem." She said, her voice shaking.

"What is it?" Signas asked, always ready to help.

"…Zero and Axl have been captured…and I've lost all contact with them…"

Dr. Cain cursed, slowly sitting into a chair nearby. "…What options do we have?"

Alia squirmed, feeling uneasy. "Well…we can either sit here and wait…or send an attack to distract the enemy, and maybe help release Axl, X, and Zero."

Signas glanced at the doctor, who chuckled. "I'm not the Director anymore Signas, it's her choice."

Quickly Signas turned toward Alia, extending a small remote containing one button. The button was bright red in color and read "ALERT." Alia looked from the small remote to her two friends, and then to all the hunters running about the base.

"It's your choice Director…do we wait…or do we fight?"

Alia sighed, turning back to Signas and handing him the remote. "…I'll go…alone."

Dr. Cain jumped from his chair, causing it to tip to its side in the process. "Are you mad! Y-You are the Director! You can't just go about fighting whenever you want!"

"You did it!" Alia yelled, a tear slowly falling down her cheek.

"…Alia…that's different…I know how to fight, I have weapons I can use…but…Alia, you're an operator and scientists, not a field agent. You could be killed!"

Alia turned away from the doctor and clutched onto the railings, her body shaking as she started to cry. To comfort her, the doctor stepped to her side and smiled at her, Alia glancing up at him to see his face. The doctor was like a father to everyone, hunter and operator. He was always there for you…and he always would be.

"Alia…last time you went on a mission to save X you're almost died in a plane crash, and then DID die inside the castle! I cannot allow you to go alone, it is too dangerous." Signas said, stepping to Alia's other side. His face was serious, but showed just how much he cared.

At first glance one would think that Signas would be a careless, battle hardened fighter. But in reality that was all too wrong. Signas cared about all his hunters, scientists, operators, and all others. It was his compassion that had helped him to lead the hunters so well, because he truly cared about what happened to them. He was young, but all as wise as Dr. Cain.

"…I know…but I have to help X…I can't just leave him, or Zero and Axl, out there with no contact home…"

Dr. Cain smiled. "I say she go…"

Alia and Signas quickly turned to the old man, one happy and one confused.

"B-But Dr. Cain, please, be realistic! If she goes out there unarmed-"

"She will not go alone…" Dr. Cain said with a chuckled.

The two reploids backed away from their human friend, each one with a broad smile on their face.

"You're going with her I assume?"

"Correct. I'll take Alia there, and we'll have X, Zero, and Axl out of that castle in no time."

With that the doctor walked out of the door and made his way to the elevator, Alia and Signas watching him leave with a smile. But as Alia started to leave a hand tightly gripped her arm and pulled her back. Alia turned to see Signas, looking defeated, smirk at her.

"Alia…I want you to be careful…but more importantly, I want you to make sure that Dr. Cain is careful. I can't help but feel like he knows more than he is saying…I want you to watch him close, but do everything he says. If he tells you to run, you run…understand?"

Alia smiled. "I understand…"

Signas cleared his throat and stood up straight, his face becoming serious as always. "Good, then go out there and bring our men home."

Alia saluted as she walked out of the door. "Yes sir!"


	29. The Curtain Rises

A blinding light that is what filled Zero vision as he started to awaken. He remembered nothing, one second he was watching X from the window, and the next everything was black. But now the red hunter squinted to see, pushing his way past the headache that he had obtained, and regaining his vision. Before him stood the mavericks he had seen from the window, and X was staring at him menacingly. Zero tried to move, but found that he was bound to a metal chair by a coil of rope, his legs also bound.

"Ah, so at last our second friend is awake." Said the man in black, turning to a figure next to Zero.

Zero glanced over to see Axl, also bound to a chair, was awake and smiling at him. "Hey, welcome to the party Zero."

"Gee thanks." Zero said with a smirk, turning his attention to the reploids before him.

"…Zero? Your name is Zero?" asked the one in black, his eyes wide in amazement.

"…Yes…I am…" Zero said, confused as to why the man had taken such enjoyment in hearing his name.

The man in black grinned, bowing to Zero and chuckling. "Well it is very good to have you back sir."

"Have me back? What are you talking about?"

The black reploid looked hurt, he turned to his yellow friend and whispered to him. The gold maverick walked out of the room a moment, and returned seconds later with a disk in hand. Slowly he put the disk into the computer that projected the holoscreen, and on the screen played a video. The video's main subject was…Zero.

Zero was standing in some sort of warehouse, reploids in black armor running all around him. Viciously he barked orders at them, and they complied in silence. But as Zero watched himself ordering these reploids around he couldn't think of when it had happened, why on earth was he yelling at reploids and giving them orders?

Then the scene changed, this time a very familiar reploid stood across from Zero. It was Sigma. Both reploids had their Sabers drawn and where quickly slashing away at each other, but it was clearly not a training fight or a sword lesson. Zero was fighting wildly, and Sigma could barely keep up to him doing nothing more than blocking Zero's blows. This was a fight to the death, Zero could see that.

After watching a few more seconds Zero turned toward his hosts. "What is this? Why am I fighting Sigma?"

The black reploid looked shocked; he gasped and turned to his yellow friend with a sigh. He then turned back to Zero with a smile.

"…So you have lost your memory…how unfortunate…"

"Lost my memory! What are you-" and then it hit him.

"_I searched some of the information we had on The Brotherhood and found some…startling news…but even after reading it I wouldn't have called X a spy…_It said that you where once a member…"

Dr. Cain…was right…there was video evidence of it, Zero fighting wildly trying to kill Sigma…Zero was a member of The Brotherhood…

The man in black grinned. "So you see it clearly now…you remember…this is the past that the humans stole from you, they ripped it out of your memory and labeled you as to powerful! It was only after your memories where locked up where you even allowed in public, let alone those stupid Maverick Hunters."

Zero sighed, turning to Axl who glared at him.

"Zero…you actually…you…worked for them?"

"No….NO! This is all fake! I know it! I would never work with people like you!" Zero yelled, spitting at the man in black.

"You where created by the same man as I Zero, and the same man as who created Brother Nocturne. You are our brother Zero, you cannot turn away from that."

Zero remembered, when he had came to fight Nocturne…hanging on the wall was a picture of an old man, he wore a white lab coat over his suit and tie…he looked so…familiar…and then Nocturne had said…that he was created by…

"…Dr. Wily…" Zero whispered.

"Yes…Yes, that is right. Dr. Wily created you, Nocturne, myself, we are all brothers…"

Zero sat in shock, his past…had been revealed.

"But allow me to introduce myself. My name is Varios, but you may call me V. My yellow friend here is Volt, Volt Viper…of course, I'm sure you know my blue friend, X. We are to be the protectors of reploids, fighters for a peaceful world. We are The Brotherhood…"


	30. The Electric Snake

"SHUT UP!" Axl yelled.

Bound to his chair Axl was unable to attack, but that couldn't stop him for speaking. Varios and Volt turned to Axl with a threatening glare. But the young hunters didn't shut up, he yelled every curse that came to mind at the two mavericks.

"Zero is NOT one of you! He NEVER was and he never will be!"

"You cannot run from the truth! He IS a member of The Brotherhood, he knows it!" Varios yelled.

"NO! HE WOULD NEVER HELP YOU!" Axl yelled, squirming in his chair.

As the two reploids yelled back and forth Axl rocked his chair harder and harder, eventually tipping it over. The chair was made of wood, and apparently was quite old, for when it hit the floor it cracked the backing of the chair. With one hard pull Axl freed his hands and unbound his feet.

Varios cursed. "STOP HIM!" he yelled, and Volt tackled Axl to the ground.

"GET HIM AXL!" Zero yelled, cheering him on from the sidelines.

Axl and Volt rolled around on the floor for a moment before Axl got the upper hand and punched the yellow reploid in the jaw. Volt screamed when he was hit, and kicked Axl off of him. Axl hit the wall hard, but got back up and was ready to fight. He pulled out his gun and quickly pointed it at Volt.

"One more move and I shoot." He yelled.

"Hahahaha, you would try and shoot ME! You idiot, you can't kill me with something like THAT!"

Axl fired the gun, but as the bullet neared Volt's body the snake disappeared. Looking all around the room, Axl tried to locate the yellow maverick. But he was gone…or was he?

Suddenly wires from one of the computers lashed out and grabbed Axl's hand, squeezing it tightly. Axl cried out in pain, dropping his gun. Volt was made of pure electricity; he had put himself inside the computer and was manipulating it from the inside. The entire castle was a weapon now!

X stood watching all of this unmoving, but when he heard Axl scream something happened. Varios was controlling X, but…when X heard his friend cry out his control was broke for just a moment. X turned toward Varios and, with one great punch, knocked the reploid to the floor.

Two guards rushed at X, but he quickly shot them with his buster and eliminated them. He dashed toward Zero and quickly untied his arms and legs.

"I knew you couldn't be working for those guys X!" Zero yelled.

"Zero…V…Varios….H…He is controlling me…I don't know how much longer I will…be…free….." X stammered, his voice altered somehow.

Varios jumped up and screamed in anger. "X! STOP THAT THIS INSTANT!" he yelled, and X screamed in pain as Varios began to tighten his control on him.

Zero, who was now free of the chair, jumped up and drew his Saber. He dashed toward Varios, who quickly fired a blast of energy at him knocking him to the ground. Zero stumbled as he got up, but it was too late. X was once again under Varios's control, and the two reploids dashed toward the elevator.

Zero cursed, but when he heard Axl scream yet again he ran to his friend. In the time he had left Axl alone, Volt had taken the wires from the computer and wrapped Axl tightly in them. All that was visible of Axl was his head, and he looked like he was about to faint.

"AXL!"

"Z-Zero….I…c-can't….breathe…" he chocked, losing consciousness shortly after.

Zero screamed, taking his Saber and slashing at the wires, careful not to cut his friend. But as he hacked away at the cords more lashed out and attached themselves to Axl's body, there had to be a better way. Franticly Zero glanced around the room for anyway to help Axl. All of the other mavericks had fled the room, so all of the computers where visible…but nowhere could Zero find anything to use to help his friend…and then…he saw it.

One a computer at the head of the room was a slight crackle of electric energy, surging over the computers control panel. Zero ran toward it and quickly stabbed down with his Saber. To his surprise the electricity screamed, a real scream.

Volt Viper, his body thrown out from the control panel, fell on his rear on the floor of the command center. Zero quickly pointed his Saber at the yellow reploid.

"Let him go!" Zero yelled.

Volt chuckled. "I think I'll enjoy watching the last few puffs of life squeeze out of him…and I'll make you watch!" he yelled, another set of wires lashing out to capture Zero.

But Zero had been expecting it, and quickly he cut the wires away before they reached him. Then, in one fluid motion, he sliced the maverick in half, cutting his midsection away from his body. As the maverick hit the floor, happening so fast he had no time to scream, the wires around Axl began to loosen and the black reploid fell to the floor with a loud thump.

Zero ran over to his friend, his eyes wide in fear.

"Axl! AXL! Speak to me!" he yelled, hoping he wasn't too late.

Axl weakly smiled at Zero, his right arm completely crushed by the wires. "…Z-Zero….I-I'm fine…."

Zero sighed. "Axl….come on you can't die, not after all of this…"

Axl chuckled, but coughed most of it out. "I'll be fine...you just go save X…"

Zero leaned Axl against the wall and backed away slowly. "…Axl…"

"I'll be fine…j-just….go…." he said, closing his eyes slowly.

_Axl…please…don't die…_ Zero thought as he ran to the elevator.

The last thing he saw of his hunter friend was him smiling at him as he entered the elevator. He could only hope that some help was on the way.


	31. The Return of Evil

Running down the halls of Castle Wily, Alia smiled proudly at Dr. Cain. The doctor had helped them get inside by using an ability he had taken from X, a remote detonating mine. With the power of the mine he had blown down the gate and gained them entrance to the castle.

"Nice job getting us inside by the way." Alia said, turning down the hall toward some stairs.

"Ah, why thank you. I like to hold on to some of the things that X finds on his journeys, so I copied his abilities and put them in my cane. Did you really think I carried it around for walking?"

Alia giggled as she ran up a flight of stairs, Dr. Cain close behind. The two of them had flown to the castle via a jet, piloted by Alia. It had taken only minutes to reach the castle, and they only hoped they could reach their friends at such speed.

Running through another hallway Dr. Cain stopped, Alia still running up ahead. "ALIA WAIT!" he yelled, causing her to screech to a halt and run back to him.

"What is it?" she asked, slightly out of breath."

"Look." The doctor said, pointed toward a door at the end of the hall. The door was wide open.

Slowly the two of them walked into the room and found themselves in a small observation room overlooking a large room filled with computers. The room below them had been destroyed, and computer wires where everywhere.

"Whoa…what happened here?" Alia asked, looking around the room.

"Axl…" Dr. Cain whispered.

"Huh?"

"AXL!" Dr. Cain yelled, pointing toward a figure lying against the wall.

"That is Axl…Oh, and he's hurt! We have to get down there! Let's look for a way down there."

"No time, stand back." The doctor said, twisting on his cane and removing the Saber that sat inside. This Saber had all the powers that X had, and was crafted in the shape of Zero's own sword.

The doctor pointed his sword at the glass of the booth and pressed a button on the side of the sword. Slowly the sword began to glow and it suddenly jolted, firing a small drill. The drill hit the glass and shattered it. Dr. Cain then quickly drew a circle around himself and Alia. Pressing another button caused a bubble to appear around them, in the exact shape of the circle. The two of them walked inside their bubbles until they reached the broken window, the bubbles then descended and touched gracefully down on the command center floor.

"Nice job Dr. Cain! What can't that sword of your do?"

Dr. Cain chuckled. "Cook food." He said with a grin. But a low moan caused the two to quickly run toward Axl.

Axl was beaten pretty badly, his right arm was crushed, a large cut across his chest. Pieces of his armor where missing altogether and Alia teared up as she saw him.

"Oh…Oh god…Axl…" Alia cried, unable to stop the tears.

"…I-I don't f-feel as…bad…as…I l-look…" Axl said with a smile.

Dr. Cain bent down to him and smiled. "Well just hold on. I can do a few minor repairs to make you last a little longer. But I'm gonna need you to stay strong until we get out of here, alright?"

Axl grinned. "Don't worry doc…y-you can't get rid of m-me this easy…"

"That's far enough!" Zero yelled, stepping out of the elevator and into a large white room.

The floors and walls here where made of pure metal, large computers set against the walls. Aside from the computers the room was empty, but a large metal door sat at the head of the room. The door stretched from the floor to the ceiling, and held many small lights that flickered on it.

Varios and X quickly stopped moving, X now standing in the center of the room with Varios at the door.

"…So Zero…are you hear to join me?" Varios asked, his back turned to Zero.

"No. I'm here to save my friend, and kick your ass."

Varios sighed. "…What a shame…I was so looking forward to the day that The Brotherhood would be complete again…"

"I'm not that person anymore…I fight with the Maverick Hunters now…"

Varios turned back toward Zero, his face covered with a dark grin. "If it is a fight you want, than it is a fight you will get."

"Then bring it on!" Zero said, drawing his Saber.

Varios laughed, his voice bouncing around the room. "Oh, you won't be fighting me…X! Destroy Zero!"

X stepped forward, his buster arm flashing with light as it transformed into a sword of its own, the blade hooked at the tip.

"I will not allow you to get in my way. I am the savior of all reploids, and I will kill anyone who stands in my way!" X yelled.

Varios backed away, letting the two reploid have plenty of fighting room.

Zero sighed. "X! It's me, Zero! Come on! Snap out of it X, you know you can't kill me!"

X, screaming, launched himself at Zero. Zero quickly parried the blow, and slashed at X as a warning.

"X, please…don't do this! We've been best friends since the start! Don't you remember!"

X yelled once more, lunging at Zero. Zero quickly slid to the left and dodged the blow, X's blade sinking into a computer panel and locking into it.

"X! PLEASE! Think about it! I know you're in there! Think about me, and Axl! Think about all the fun we've had!"

X ran at Zero, slashing wildly. Zero dodged each blow, but was hit by X's final swing. X's blade sunk deep into Zero's shoulder, and the red hunter cried out in pain.

"X! PLEASE! Think about at Christmas, when we put that spring loaded pie in Axl's box! Don't you remember how hard we laughed!"

X started to pull his blade from Zero's shoulder, but froze. "….Christmas….." he said in a monotone voice.

"Yes, remember when you and Alia kissed! It was at Christmas! Dr. Cain had just repaired her after she had been killed by Sigma!"

X was frozen in place, his face contorted in pain and anger. "….Alia….kiss…."

"Yes…remember…please X….remember….remember Signas! All the paperwork he gives us every day! Remember Dr. Cain! Always there for you! Remember….please…" Zero begged.

X screamed, letting go on his sword and clutching his hands to his forehead in pain. Varios cursed and pushed harder, trying to control as much of X as he could. But…something was fighting against his control, something…powerful. X continued to scream, beginning to break free of Varios's control, but suddenly the tables turned. All at once X fell to the floor unconscious and Varios was hit with his own mind control, he screamed in pain as he was knocked backward onto the control panel.

"X!" Zero yelled, yanking the sword from his shoulder and running to his fallen friend.

Varios gasped, pulling himself up slowly. "I-I can't believe this…the savior of all reploids…defeated…by YOU!"

Zero looked at Varios; his eyes alight with pure hatred. X was lying on the floor unconscious and it was that man's fault.

"…But no matter…I-I had hoped….that…I could…save this weapon…but…"

Varios pulled, from his pocket, the disk that X had brought him. He inserted the disk into his computer and the entire room started to blink to life. On every screen was a large sequence of numbers, flying across the screen.

"…W-Wait…this isn't right?" Varios gasped.

Zero chuckled. "Nice try, but that disk was infected with a virus. Now your entire operation is about to go up in flames."

Varios cursed, turning toward the red reploid with a large demented grin.

"Can you guess what my project was?"

Zero sighed. "No, but you're going to tell me anyway."

"…I was creating a new body…"

"A new body?"

"…For Sigma…"


	32. Reaching Peace

"SIGMA!" Zero yelled.

"Yes…the disk that I needed held a section of the Sigma Virus…with it I could reanimate Sigma…but since you tricked me with a virus my project is ruined!"

X moaned, slowly starting to wake up. Zero turned his attention to his friend and helped him up off the floor. Staggering slightly X made it to his feet and turned toward Varios.

"…So…You're still alive eh? Will I can fix that…you may have ruined my plans to bring back Sigma, but I have enough of the project finished to destroy you!" Various yelled, slamming his hand down on a large red button.

Red crisis lights started spinning, tinting the room a deep red, as the large metal door at the head of the room began to open. From the door stepped a figure, one that the hunter's whished would die and stay dead. Standing before them was Sigma their greatest enemy…but something wasn't right.

Sigma stepped out of the room and glared at the hunters. His body had been remade almost exactly the way it originally was, his armor a deep green and his eyes blazing red. He walked out and smiled at his hunters friends.

"…L-long time no s-see X…" Clearly his speech hadn't been perfected yet.

"Not long enough." X said, straining to stand on his own.

Sigma chuckled, drawing two Sabers. "Let's j-just see how s-strong you've gotten w-while I was gone."

Zero drew his Saber and pulled X behind him. "Come on X, you're too weak you can't fight him now."

"I can…and I will…" X said with a groan.

Sigma lunged at the two hunters. X dodged the blow of one sword by dashing to the right, but Zero countered the second sword with his own. Sigma yelled and thrust both blades down at Zero, who quickly blocked them, but the force of both swords on his own was pushing him against the wall.

X jumped up and fired a volley of shots at Sigma, but the shots had no effect. Sigma retreated from Zero and turned back to his blue enemy. Dashing forward Sigma kicked X in the chest, sending the blue reploid flying into the wall. Sigma then brought both of his blades to X's neck and locked him in place.

"A-Any last words X?" he asked, pushing the blades against his neck.

X raised his hands to Sigma's trying to pull the blades down. But Sigma was strong, even if his body was incomplete. But there was hope.

Zero dashed forward, but as he was just about to strike at Sigma a gunshot rang out, blowing Zero into the wall. X screamed for his friend, and looking past Sigma could see Various standing there with a small blaster in his hands.

"Varios, you bastard!"

"SIGMA! KILL HIM!"

Sigma pulled back of his blades and started to plunge it downward when another gunshot rang out, this one striking Varios. Sigma turned away from X to see who had fired and X took Sigma's free blade and twisted it out of his hand. Before the large reploid could react X had dashed to Zero's side, grabbed his own Saber and pierced cut off Sigma second sword hand.

From within the door of the elevator stepped Dr. Cain, Axl's blaster in his hands. X ran over to the doctor with a smile on his face.

"Dr. Cain!"

"X, you're alright! Alia will be overjoyed."

"Alia! You mean she's here!"

Sigma roared in anger, running at the blue reploid. X dived out of the way, and Dr. Cain took his own Saber and pointed it at Sigma. Unable to divert his course the large maverick ran himself straight into the blade.

Varios, clutching his shoulder where he had been shot, screamed in defeat. "NO! You idiot you hit his power generator!"

Sigma growled at the doctor as he began to power down, his power generator being in his exact center where the blade had pierced. Dr. Cain removed the sword and watched the maverick fall to the floor in a heap of metal.

"You don't know how long I've wanted to do that." Dr. Cain said with a smile, turning toward X and Zero.

X was helping Zero off the floor and onto his feet. Zero smiled at X, his arm wrapped around his friends neck for support.

"So, Dr. Cain…how do we look?" he asked with a grin.

"You look like hell…" Dr. Cain said.

"…Oh, so I do look as bad as I feel."

Slowly the two reploids moved to the elevator, Dr. Cain along with them. Once inside the elevator everyone turned to look for Varios but the dark reploid was gone…he simply…vanished. But more important things came to mind when the castle suddenly, and violently, began to tremble.

"What's going on?" X asked, the trembles rocking the entire elevator as they began to descend. To answer his question a loud computerized voice was heard over the intercom.

"Self destruct sequence initiated. Castle will self destruct in 1 minute."

Zero smirked. "Oh how wonderful, a time limit."

The doors of the elevator opened as everyone reached the command center floor. Everyone quickly got out and started to run toward the door to the hallway. As they ran Alia and Axl, still in the corner of the room looked up.

"X! You're alive!" she cried.

X quickly turned to her with a smile. "Alia! Come on, we have to get out of here the castle's gonna blow!"

Alia jumped. "But I can't carry Axl by myself!"

"I'll do it, you go!" Dr. Cain ordered, running over and hauling Axl up off the floor.

X and Zero ran out of the room just in time, for a large section of the roof collapsed on their position, Alia jumping over the debris as it fell, and Dr. Cain close behind. Out in the hallway everyone ran toward the stairs going down one floor, but just as they reached them a large support beam crash down on the stairs and blocked exit.

"Where do we go now?" Zero yelled, the castle shaking again.

Dr. Cain thought for a moment. "This way!" he yelled, running back where they had come and down a different path from there. At the end of this path was another flight of stairs, which they quickly ran down.

Now on the second floor they made their way back through the castle and back onto the first floor. Running through the dining hall they heard the voice again.

"Castle will self destruct in 35 seconds."

Everyone quickened their pace, blowing down the dining hall door and reentering the foyer. There it was the exit! The group ran at full speed to the exit, but just as they were about to reach it another gunshot rang out. Everyone turned to see Varios standing with his gun smoldering.

"Everyone, get out of here!" Dr. Cain said, pushing the group backward as he drew his Saber.

"What! NO! We are NOT leaving you here!" X yelled.

"GO! NOW!"

"The castle will self destruct in 20 seconds." said the voice once more.

"Dr. Cain come on, all we have to do is-"

"GO DAMMIT! GET OUT OF HERE!" Dr. Cain yelled, raising his Saber to block another gunshot.

Zero grabbed X's arm and pulled him toward the door. "Come on, we have no time!"

"NO! I'm not leaving the doctor alone!"

"X, we have to go!"

"NO!"

Dr. Cain chuckled, turning slowly to his friends, the castle shaking once more.

"…X…Zero…Axl…Alia….It was truly an honor to have known you all…and…I will miss you all…"

"Dr. Cain!" X yelled, trying to fight off Zero's grip.

"…Alia…X…I wish you both the best…"

"THE CASTLE WILL SELF DESTRUCT IN 10 SECONDS!"

"…Axl…I just know that someday you are going to be a better hunter than even X and Zero…just don't give up…"

9…8…7…

"…and…Zero, no matter what anyone tells you…no matter what your past says…you are who you are…nothing can ever change that…"

6…5…4…3…

"X! WE HAVE TO GO NOW!" Zero yelled, pulling X closer to the door.

"…Goodbye…my friends….goodbye…."

Zero grabbed X, pulling him out of the castle as everyone dived to the ground outside. Just as they all reached the safety of the ground the castle burst into flames, a wall of flame engulfing the entire foyer. Dr. Cain smiled at his friends as he felt death come upon him.

_Goodbye…and…good luck…_

The wall of flame surrounded Varios and Dr. Cain. Varios fell to the floor screaming in pain as death came upon him, but Dr. Cain remained standing as he let his last moments wash over him. Peace…that was what awaited him, and he was happy. Finally he could have peace…eternal peace.

X stumbled back up, Zero still trying to hold him back.

"DOCTOR CAIN!" he yelled, fighting Zero's grip once more.

"X! HE'S GONE!" Zero yelled, pulling X to the ground.

Alia reached out and grabbed X's hand. X, his face covered in tears, pulled himself up and held to Alia.

"…Alia….he's…"

"I know X…I know…we all will miss him…but you can't stop this X…you can't stop death…"

Axl slowly stood, holding to Zero's shoulder for support.

All around the city you could see it, the large castle covered in flames. The castle had stood for as long as anyone could remember, but no longer would its past haunt the lives of the people of earth. As the flames illuminated the dark starry night everyone would remember this day…a day…of peace…


	33. The Curtain Closes

Sadness…the one emotion that everyone could feel.

Everyone in the Maverick Hunter base was wearing black, standing in the courtyard. The garden was built in a large square in front of the north side of the building. In the center of the garden was a statue, and at the base of the statue was a door leading underneath the statue.

Underneath that statue was a tomb, and inside it lay the body of one Dr. Cain. He was a brave man, as everyone knew…and he would truly be missed.

Apparently, god had seen it fitting to bring rain to the event. And so, as his funeral was played out a steady rain fell upon all who where in attendance. But that didn't discourage people from coming; in fact all of the maverick hunters were in attendance as well as many people in the city.

Signas stood on a small platform that had been set up, a podium set before him. He sighed as he turned to his fellow hunters and spoke into the microphone.

"…Fellow Maverick Hunters…people of Abel City…today we have gathered here…to say goodbye to a long time friend…Dr. Cain…"

Sitting in the front right row was X, Alia, Zero, and Axl. The four of them all sat in silence as they listened to Signas speak. Alia held an umbrella over her head, blocking some of the rain. Zero, Axl, and X all wore black suits for the occasion, and Alia a black dress.

"…Dr. Cain was…a very dear friend to, not just myself, but to everyone he met. He always was there for you when you needed help, and always truly cared about your problems. He was…is…a very wise man, and a very loved man…and I know…that we all…will miss him…"

Quietly all of the hunters stood and saluted Dr. Cain's final resting place. Two hunters approached the doors to the tomb and slowly brought them to a close, latching them and locking them shut.

X tensed up. "So…this is it…"

"Our future…" Zero mumbled.

"…and Dr. Cain…he won't be around to see it…" Axl sighed.

Alia smiled. "Come on, cheer up guys. Dr. Cain entrusted us all with a job, and I won't rest until I complete it."

X chuckled. "Alia's right…All Dr. Cain ever wanted was peace. I'm going to miss him, but…I'm going to keep fighting, as long as it takes, to make his dream come true!"

"Yeah, me too!" Zero said with a grin.

"And I'll try and help however I can." Axl said.

Alia sighed. "…And really…he's never truly gone…we'll always have our memories…"

"Yeah…and he's still watching over us…waiting for the day that the big bright future he dreamed of is done." X said, pulling Alia close to him.

And as the hunters saluted, people sang, and the cannons fired everyone wished a fond farewell to Dr. Cain. Is this the end? No…there is no end…only a new beginning…

And so I leave you with this…

No matter what happens, no matter how life hurts you…know…know that you are never alone. For all the ones you love are there with you, until the very end. Never give up! And if you fall down…then just get back up and try again…because life is a battle…that we all must win.

R.I.P


	34. Epilogue

-TWO YEARS LATER-

In a city far away, a city of hope and peace, a man in a white lab coat stands in an old laboratory, arguing with a female scientist. The two of them shout back and forth, a few of their colleagues merely watching the show in dull enthusiasm. Both where passionate about their stands on the subject, and it could show in their words.

The male scientists wore a black suit, a white lab coat over it, with a red W on it, his eyes where a pale, and quite dull, amber. His hair was white as snow, just one sign of his age, but upon looking at him many others could be seen. The female wore a black suit with pink fringe and gold buttons, her eyes where a perfect sapphire blue, matching quite well with her long blonde hair.

"You're mad!" screamed the female scientists.

"The only way to end this war is to use it!" said the male, forcing his voice to a yell but still seeming calm.

"NO! Master will never allow you to use it like that!"

"Then let us ask him!"

Just at that moment there was a clamor of sound from the hall. Two reploids, one in a suit of blue armor the other in pink and white armor, walked side by side up the hall.

"What seems to be the problem here?" asked the male reploid, smiling at the group of scientists.

"Ah, Master X. I'm sure you remember me, Dr. Alouette, and this is my college Dr. Weil."

"Yes, I remember you two, you are the head scientists working on the Elf Project."

"Yes that's correct. Dr. Weil wants to present an idea to you, to use the Elf as a weapon to end the war. I however want to use the elf to cure the Maverick virus."

"Do you think it can really do that?" asked the female reploid, her face brightening at the sound of hope.

"Yes I do. And if we take that path, things will be much safer for us all; so many lives will be spared."

The male scientists, Dr. Weil, groaned. "Lives will be spared! You are the ones who are mad! It will take YEARS to find a cure that way! Thousands more will die at that pace!"

"Weil is right..." X muttered, causing the female reploid to turn to him with a shocked face.

"But X! We can't use that as a weapon! It will kill just as many as waiting, if not more!"

"...Well we have to do something Alia…people are dying, humans and reploids..."

"Please X, a weapon? You hate violence, you know that." Alia begged, tears coming to her eyes.

"...You're right Alia...a weapon...I just...," X sighed, turning toward Dr. Weil with a false smile. "Weil, what would the casualties be if the weapon was used?"

"...There would be many..." Weil said in defeat.

"Then it's settled. Dr. Alouette, Alia, get to work finding a cure with the Elf, Alia will work with you I'm sure.."

"Oh X! Really! I can help?" Alia asked, sounding like a child asking her father permission on something.

"Of course dear, you always wanted to find a cure. Now we can all work together to find one."

Dr. Weil stood in shock, his mouth open in such a manner that one would tell him to close it, lest a fly flutter inside. "WHAT!" he bellowed, causing everyone to turn toward him.

"Dr. Weil, I'm sorry. I cannot allow thousands to die by my hand." X said with a slight smirk, placing a hand on the doctors shoulder.

Dr. Weil shrugged off X's hand and glared at his lord."So you are just going to sit here! Thousands will die anyway! There are all useless, it matters not if they die!"

X's face darkened. _They are all useless!_ "THAT IS QUITE ENOUGH! I will NOT be using your idea Weil that is final. You have worked quite well at your job, creating weapons for reploids to fight mavericks. Without you much of my progress would be nonexistent, however I cannot believe you to call humans and reploids USELESS! "

"What are reploids! They were created by humans to do OUR work, and yet they roam with no masters!...You have exceeded you leash X!"

Quickly, and in one swift motion, X raised his buster to his human subject, causing Weil to back up in fear. However after backing away the doctor burst into laughter. "You can't fire at a HUMAN! That is why reploids are weak, but no matter. You have made your choice, so I retreat. But I warn you! I will show you what a mistake you are making! I will show you ALL!"

With those words Dr. Weil ran down the hall and out the main door of the lab. X sighed and turned back to Alia and Alouette. The two women had started to talk about how they could stop the virus, and X smiled as he saw that Alia was enjoying talking to the scientist.

_I will show you all!_

And show them he did, for on that very day Dr. Weil released the Mother Elf, first Cyber Elf ever created. Upon that day one war ended, but a new one began. This war would be even more vicious than the last, and it would last long enough to destroy any resistance.

Mother Elf, after being reprogrammed by Dr. Weil, was used as a weapon, just as the doctor wanted. This weapon destroyed much of the world, millions of people died, reploid and human. All survivors migrated to the utopian city of Neo Arcadia, ruled by the kind and gentle Lord X.

Mother Elf, now know as Dark Elf, has to be stopped. But when she was stopped who would save the world? X? Alia? No…not alone…

No the saviors of the world would be two…two magnificently brave youths…

A young human doctor by the name of Ciel…and a powerful young reploid named Zero…


	35. AUTHOR NOTE

AUTHOR NOTE

Hello everyone.

I do hope that you have enjoyed my latest story. I would like to make a quick point while I am here. In this last chapter you met Dr. Weil and Dr. Alouette. If you know the story of the Megaman Zero series you know that X is king of Neo Arcadia, and that Dr. Weil is the madman who creates the Elf War by using the Dark Elf against X's will.

Alia is included in this last chapter, as she and X are married by this point. Dr. Alouette is supposed to be Dr. Ceil's mother. In the game Alouette is the name that Ceil gives to an orphaned girl, so I made it so that Ceil would name the girl after her mother.

I do hope you have enjoyed my story, if you have any questions feel free to ask me.

Also I will soon begin work on a sequel to Megaman – Shadow of the Stars.

I will also be working on completing Megaman X- Zero's Heart of Ivory

I do hope to see you all again in the world of fan fiction, so good day and happy reading!

Megaman Trigger 2.0


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